Human Blues
by Thanos6
Summary: Thanks to a mistake with the Dragon Balls, Vegeta's become a human. Yamcha needles him constantly. Gohan and Videl are the new Saiyan royalty. Enough said.
1. Adjusting

Human Blues  
  
by Thanos6  
  
Legal note: I do not own nor claim to own any of the Dragonball characters.  
  
Hello again, everyone. This is my first Dragonball story of 2002, and with any luck you'll be entertained. For those of you who are wondering, here's the timeline to date. "B+ #" refers to how many years after the Buu saga the story takes place. For example, the first one takes place two years later.  
  
**Buu**   
  
  
Saiyans On The Road-- B+ 2   
Time Passages-- B+ 2 1/2   
…|   
…--------Gohan And Videl's Bachelor Parties (during the final chapter of Time Passages)  
Tourney Nights-- B+ 3   
The White King And The Black King-- B+ 3 1/2  
The Unexpected Target-- B+ 3 1/2   
Human Blues-- B+ 3 1/2 (this story)  
  
This story focuses on events that occur as a direct result of "The White King And The Black King." You may want to take a look at that story, especially the last chapter, if you haven't already. Also, the presence of certain characters may confuse you, but all will be explained.  
  
Enjoy! (and please review)  
  
***  
  
Vegeta, King of the Saiyans, awoke and was immediately depressed. This was because he was actually the former King of the Saiyans. Yesterday his wife Bulma had used the Dragonballs of New Namek to restore herself back to being a human, after being a Saiyan for a year. Unfortunately, thanks to the bond the two of them shared, the wish had had an unforeseen side effect. The wish had leapt across the bond and affected him as well. Now he was a human, with no power to speak of.  
  
The other person who had journeyed with them to New Namek was Kakarot, known to everyone else as Son Goku. They had told him to keep his mouth shut about what had happened, but knowing his stupidity, he had probably already revealed it.  
  
This thought made Vegeta even more depressed.  
  
He and Bulma had deliberately delayed their return to Capsule Corporation until very late at night, so that they could avoid any questions until the next morning. Unluckily, it was now the next morning. That is, this morning. To make matters worse, it was almost breakfast, when everyone who lived at Capsule Corp. would be gathered around one table.  
  
His mood did not improve as he contemplated everyone's reactions. His in-laws, Dr. and Mrs. Briefs, seemed to be totally unflappable, so that wouldn't be too bad. His older son, Mirai, was too polite to say anything, though he'd probably be chuckling on the inside. The same was true for the Saiyan known as Broli. However, the Saiyans Turles, Nappa, and especially Raditz would make fun of him. Not too much, though, not if they were smart; they had to know that he would be able to wish himself back to normal eventually. Raditz's wife Iroke most likely wouldn't care. Neither would the android Juunanagou, number Seventeen, who was staying with them until he could rebuild his house. Vegeta's younger son Trunks, on the other hand, would be merciless in his sarcastic comments, a trait that a grim Vegeta realized had come straight from him.  
  
A shiver ran down his spine as he considered the probable reaction of Yamcha. The former bandit had been Bulma's boyfriend once, and although he was now engaged to his longtime friend, the shapeshifter Pu'ar, the two of them still enjoyed hassling each other.  
  
For the first time in his life, Vegeta seriously considered simply staying in bed the whole day.  
  
***  
  
Nevertheless, a few minutes later he rose when Bulma did and accompanied her to the kitchen. Normally, as king, he arrived last to the table as court etiquette demanded. Now that was a moot point, however, and he wanted to get to his breakfast as quickly as he could. That notorious Saiyan hunger demanded feeding.  
  
Actually, it didn't. But he didn't want to think about that.  
  
Bulma's parents (he STILL hadn't learned their first names) arrived not too long after. They gave him an odd look, as if seeing him at the table early was stranger than some of the things they had experienced, such as being killed.  
  
This scene repeated itself with everyone else as they came to sit down at the table. Trunks was the last to arrive, taking his seat just as Bulma began to distribute breakfast.  
  
"Something wrong, Dad? You look even angrier than normal."  
  
He sighed. There wouldn't be a better time to get this over with.  
  
***  
  
Immediately after he finished, Yamcha burst out into a hearty guffaw. This was expected, and everyone ignored him except Pu'ar, who looked a bit embarrassed.  
  
"Couldn't you just use the Dragonballs here on Earth to return to normal?" wondered Raditz, frowning.  
  
Bulma shook her head. "They probably don't have the power required. And even if they did, we don't want to have both sets inactive simultaneously, in case we need them for something urgent."  
  
"Some people would consider this urgent," Vegeta muttered, even though he agreed with her.  
  
Trunks asked, "So you'll be human for two months, right? Since you only used one wish?"  
  
"Regrettably, no. That only applies to our Dragonballs. For the ones on New Namek, the full waiting period of 180 days is still in effect."  
  
Yamcha, who had almost stopped laughing, suddenly started up again.  
  
"How much of a reduction in power did you suffer? If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say you were probably reduced to the level of Laughing Boy here," said Turles, pointing at the bandit.  
  
Vegeta gritted his teeth. "Worse. You know Kakarot's son Gohan. And you know his wife, Videl. I'm a little bit below her."  
  
"Excuse me," said Yamcha rising from the table. He left the room, and a moment later huge peals of laughter could be heard.  
  
After a moment of awkward silence, Nappa spoke up. "Someone needs to go to Kakarot's house and get Bardock. We'll need him here so we can all pick a temporary king."  
  
"What about Kakarot?" asked Broli. Nappa shook his head.  
  
"He doesn't really count."  
  
Iroke spoke up. "Why not just use Mirai? Didn't you say he was prince or something?"  
  
"I have no intention of being king," said Mirai concisely.  
  
"It doesn't matter," said Vegeta. "The only way for the throne to pass from father to son is through the father's death. Otherwise, it's presumed that the king has been exiled for something he did to disgrace the Saiyan race and that taints his whole bloodline. His family is no longer royalty, and the other Saiyans pick the strongest among them as their new king. Getting Bardock over here is just a formality."  
  
"You mean the new king is going to be…"  
  
Vegeta nodded.  
  
***  
  
Vegeta, Raditz, Nappa, Bardock, Turles, and Broli approached the front door of the one they sought. The former king knocked on it. A few seconds later, Gohan opened it. He looked a bit taken aback at all the Saiyans.  
  
"Yes? What can I do for you?"  
  
"Just the man we wanted to see." 


	2. Coronation

"No! No! A thousand times no!" shouted Gohan.  
  
"So will you consider it?" Nappa asked, flatly. Vegeta and the Saiyans were seated on various pieces of furniture in Gohan's living room, while the scholar and his wife Videl were, of course, perched on the love seat.  
  
"Of course not! I have no intention of becoming King of the Saiyans!"  
  
"You have to! It's your responsibility!" said Raditz.  
  
Turles nodded. "As the strongest individual with Saiyan blood, you must assume the throne." Gohan glanced over at Vegeta for confirmation.  
  
"That's true," said the former king. "And that happens to be you. Therefore, your course is clear."  
  
Bardock spoke up. "Not only that, but you'll make your old granddad so proud, and I know you want to do that, don't you?" He wore a wicked smirk.  
  
Desperate, Gohan turned to Videl. "What do you think I should do?"  
  
She shrugged. "It'd only be for six months or so until Vegeta could take back over, right?"  
  
"Yes. I have no intention of staying human any longer than I have to," said Vegeta, snarling.  
  
"In that case, I think you should go ahead and do it. It'd get them out of our hair…and I'll make it worth your while." She winked, and he blushed.  
  
Broli grinned. "You would have to be a fool of the highest order to pass up that offer."  
  
Gohan sighed, and gave in. "Fine, fine. I'll do it. How are you guys going to do this, anyway?"  
  
"I've read up on this, in-between missions as a planet-clearer for Freeza," said Vegeta. "We can do it since we have a majority of the Saiyans here. Step forward, brat."  
  
Gohan raised an eyebrow, rose up off the couch and took several steps onward.  
  
"Excellent. The rest of you, form a ring around him and begin giving him some of your ki. It shouldn't take too long."  
  
Bardock, Broli, Turles, Nappa and Raditz surrounded the scholar. Slowly at first, then more rapidly, they started to feed him some of their ki. A few seconds passed uneventfully.  
  
Suddenly Gohan began to glow dazzlingly white. The next moment, a pillar of light stabbed upwards from him and tore a hole in the roof.  
  
Vegeta nodded his approval. "That should do it. You can stop now."  
  
The Saiyans cut the flow of power, and Gohan stopped glowing. He looked a bit shaky, but Videl was immediately there to steady him.  
  
"Well?" he asked. "Did that do it?"  
  
"Yes. You are now King of the Saiyans--"  
  
"ALL HAIL KING GOHAN!" recited the others. Vegeta winced.  
  
"Yes, exactly. And that makes your wife the technical Queen of the Saiyans--"  
  
"ALL HAIL QUEEN VIDEL!" He winced again.  
  
"Correct. All the powers and responsibilities of the King of the Saiyans are now yours. You are the absolute ruler, and only if all the other Saiyans are in agreement can that title be removed, unless you choose to pass it on. Also, you can draw on the powers of anyone else with Saiyan blood. That includes these idiots here, your father, your brother, and my sons."  
  
"Ah. That explains how you were able to become so powerful when that alternate version of yourself arrived. Why didn't you tell anyone else about that, anyway?"  
  
"I didn't wish to overly worry the Namek or any of the humans. I have to admit that's a decision I've come to regret."  
  
"Bulma chewed you out, didn't she?"  
  
"Yes," said Vegeta, cringing. Few people could chew out like Bulma.  
  
"My sympathies."  
  
Videl whispered in his ear. He grinned.  
  
"OK, if you are my subjects…as my first edict as King, I command you to fix that hole in the roof."  
  
"It shall be done…Your Majesty," said Nappa. Gohan enjoyed the look on his face.  
  
***  
  
As the Saiyans stayed behind to do some repair work, Vegeta returned home, driving an aircar.  
  
He blinked. He supposed that Capsule Corporation really was home now, and not just "the place where he lived with his family."  
  
He blinked again. He supposed they really were his family now, and not just "his mate and his offspring." He'd lost his planet, his power, his title, and his race. There was nothing left to keep him connected to space.  
  
He shuddered, though a tiny bit of him deep inside smiled.  
  
***  
  
As he approached Capsule Corp., he saw several of the windows shatter and heard a loud explosion. This didn't really worry him, though.  
  
He parked the car and walked inside. Inside one of the laboratories, he found Bulma.  
  
"Goten is over visiting Trunks, isn't he?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"I thought so."  
  
***  
  
A few minutes later, Vegeta found himself scrolling through the television channels in lieu of his usual activities. Normally at this time of day, he'd be training, but as a human he no longer had the biological compulsion that drove him to battle constantly.  
  
With several loud thumps, Trunks and Goten entered the room. They did so by rolling down the stairs, wrestling.  
  
"Hello Vegeta-san!" greeted Goten once they'd gotten right-side up. "Wanna spar with us?"  
  
"No he doesn't!" said Trunks quickly.  
  
"How do you know he doesn't?"  
  
Trunks had inherited things other than his eyes and hair from his mother, and one of these was an inability to keep quiet for very long. And so before his father could stop him, he'd told Goten the entire story.  
  
"Thank you, brat," said Vegeta, scowling. 


	3. Vegeta Vs. Yamcha, Round 2

Yamcha and Pu'ar flew through the air, the latter reveling in the new experience. She'd flown many times before, of course, but never before as a human, and never before engaged to the man she loved.  
  
"We're almost there," said Yamcha. He pointed to a spot on the horizon. As they approached, it was eventually revealed to be a small tropical island. In fact, it was the island that was the location of the Kame House, home of Kamesen'nin, Oolong, Kuririn, Juuhachigou-Android Eighteen-and Marron. The only ones visible at the moment were the immortal martial artist and the shapeshifting pig. They appeared to be taking in the sun. They looked up as the couple touched down on the warm sand.  
  
"Hi Yamcha!" said Oolong.  
  
"Why, hello there," greeted Kamesen'nin. He eyed Pu'ar appreciatively. "And who's this beautiful lady?"  
  
He took her hand. "This is my fiancée."  
  
The old man's eyebrows went up. "Engaged, eh? Well, congratulations. Who is the lucky girl?"  
  
Pu'ar spoke up, grinning. "You don't remember me? You've known me as long as you've known him. And even longer in your case, Oolong."  
  
Oolong shook his head. "I don't recognize you…"  
  
"I'm Pu'ar."  
  
To say that they were stunned would be an understatement. After the couple explained the situation, though, they seemed to take it in stride.  
  
"Well, I must say it seems natural, even if it is a bit unexpected. Good luck to both of you, and I'll be expecting an invitation to the wedding," said Kamesen'nin.  
  
"As long as you promise not to ogle her during the ceremony," replied Yamcha, smirking.  
  
***  
  
The couple flew on, telling their friends and acquaintances about the engagement. Everyone expressed varying degrees of support. Perhaps the most outwardly enthusiastic were Chi-Chi and Goku. The former burst into tears of joy; the latter nearly crushed their spines in a bearhug.  
  
When they were done, they returned home to Capsule Corp. No one else was there except for Vegeta and Bulma. They were on the couch in the living room, watching TV and---  
  
"Oh, sorry," said Yamcha hurriedly, attempting to back out of the room. "We'll come back through in a few minutes."  
  
Vegeta growled. "A few minutes? We just started!"  
  
Yamcha couldn't resist. "Like I said…a few minutes."  
  
Snarling, the former Saiyan leapt to his feet, causing Pu'ar to hurriedly turn away blushing. "Damn you! If I wasn't so weak I'd beat you into a pulp!"  
  
"Don't let that stop you. I'll fight you on equal terms if you want. Meet you in the gravity room in ten minutes!"  
  
"Fine!" The two stalked off to don their fighting outfits. Bulma and Pu'ar looked at each other and shook their heads.  
  
***  
  
Ten minutes later, the two warriors stood opposite each other in the currently deactivated gravity chamber. Yamcha had lowered his ki to Vegeta's level, so it could be a fair fight. They both began to count backwards, from twenty.  
  
"Three…two…one…zero!" They launched themselves at each other. Being taller, Yamcha had the longer reach. As such, he struck the first blow. Vegeta's head was turned aside a bit by the force of the strike, but this did not prevent him from immediately retaliating with a knee to the stomach. Yamcha swept his opponent's feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor. Just a second after falling, Vegeta rose back up, seized his rival's arm, and hurled him over his shoulder.  
  
***  
  
Bulma and Pu'ar watched the clash through the small viewport on the door.  
  
"You'd think that after all the years I've known those two, I would have gotten used to their little stunts by now," Bulma said.  
  
"They can seem a bit childish on occasion," admitted Pu'ar.  
  
"Honestly, sometimes they're like Goten and Trunks. Except Goten and Trunks are a little more mature."  
  
***  
  
Yamcha threw a punch with his left arm. This caused Vegeta to duck the other way, just as the bandit had planned. The punch had been a feint, and now Yamcha seized the opportunity. However, Vegeta did likewise.  
  
Their hands gripped each other's throats, holding their windpipes in a death grip. Both combatants gritted their teeth, unwilling to back down. It looked like the loser of the fight would be whoever was first to pass out from asphyxiation. Unless, of course, something interrupted them.  
  
"All right, I think that's enough," said Bulma, entering the chamber, followed by Pu'ar. "We'll call it a draw." The two warriors looked as if they were going to argue, but a stern look from the scientist was all that was needed to make them release their holds on one another.  
  
"Shall we continue what we were doing before we were interrupted?" asked Vegeta as he and Bulma exited the room.  
  
"Not until you wipe all that blood off."  
  
Yamcha, meanwhile, simply stood there. Pu'ar walked over to him, a look of concern on her face.  
  
"Are you OK?"  
  
He winced. "No. I think I threw my back out during that fight." He groaned. "I'm starting to get too old for this." 


	4. Mirai's Misty Musings

A week after the fight in the gravity room, Mirai lay back and closed his eyes. Many people liked to lie down in the middle of the day to relax. Not many of them, however, did so at an altitude of twelve thousand feet.  
  
He took a deep breath, and inhaled some of the mist of the cloud that surrounded him. As it filled his lungs, it set him at peace as it always did. Sometimes he needed this peaceful, quiet solitude. He had needed it after he'd defeated the Androids in his timeline. After finally avenging the uncountable numbers that the two wicked cyborgs had killed, he'd given his mother the news, and then flown up to the clouds. He had hardly been there ten seconds when someone spoke to him.  
  
"A fine job, lad. You have done an excellent job saving two Earths."  
  
Mirai laughed to himself as he remembered what his reaction had been at the time. In less than a second, he had opened his eyes, positioned himself upright, gone Super Saiyan, and had begun to search for the mysterious voice. There was no one in sight.  
  
The voice spoke again, sounding rather amused. "You won't find me, and in any case I'm not a foe. I am Kaio-sama, the lord of worlds, and I am speaking to you telepathically."  
  
"Kaio-sama? I've heard of you! Please, accept my apologies my lord," Mirai had said, returning to normal.  
  
"No need to apologize. I was simply congratulating you on your defeat of the Androids, and on your role in saving that other universe. My counterpart from that timeline contacted me and filled me in."  
  
"You can do such things? You can speak across realities?"  
  
"Of course." Kaio-sama's voice had chuckled inside his head. "I can speak to anyone. And I have someone with me who wishes to speak to you."  
  
The young man had had only a moment to ponder, before another's voice spoke to his mind. "Hi!"  
  
"Is that you...Goku?"  
  
"Yep! Just wanted to say thank you for what you did. I only wish I had been able to help you fight. I wasted the day back to life I had earned by defeating Freeza."  
  
"Now, Goku," Kaio-sama had interrupted, "You had to say goodbye to your wife and son. You had no way of knowing that the Androids would come."  
  
"I know, but still...well, it's all behind us now. I'd better run, Trunks, there's a bit of a line behind me. Congratulations again!"  
  
Mirai had blinked, but it wasn't long before he realized what Goku had meant. Many of the other fallen warriors were using Kaio-sama to telepathically thank him. After several minutes, the last of them spoke.  
  
"Hello Trunks."  
  
"GOHAN?!"  
  
"Yes, it's me," his former master had said. "You did a fine job."  
  
"But it took so many years, so many people killed...and it was all my fault."  
  
Gohan's voice had grown stern. "Don't you dare blame yourself. You simply needed time to reach the level of power necessary. That is in no way your fault."  
  
There was silence for a moment, then he had spoken again. "Well, I'm sure you don't want me bothering you. I'll go now. But I have to say this...you've made me proud."  
  
"You've made us all proud, son," Kaio-sama had said. "If you ever need to talk to me, just reach out with your thoughts and I'll be there. Farewell."  
  
And then Mirai had been left again, alone in the clouds, with only his tears for company.  
  
***  
  
He came out of his memories as he realized that the cloud he had been nestled in was starting to break up. He began to search for another one, taking care not to exert himself too much, as the air was thin this high up.  
  
He found a suitable cloud and took up position in it. He leaned back and closed his eyes again, as he remembered the worst days of his life...  
  
***  
  
For two straight days, he had neither eaten, drunk, nor slept. He had simply flown through the skies, screaming until his throat grew sore, waiting until it felt better, and then screaming some more. It didn't matter what anyone thought of this display, because they were all dead.  
  
The wizard Babidi and the demon Darbura had come to earth, seeking to revive the magical creature Majin Buu and use it to conquer the universe. However, to do so they had to kill other beings and drain their life powers. They had killed hundreds already by the time Mirai discovered it. He had confronted them in battle, only to be easily defeated by Darbura.  
  
He had been thought killed, but he had survived. Unfortunately, by the time he had recovered, it was too late. The villainous duo had taken the rest of humanity. Thanks to the Androids, there hadn't been many for them to attack. There was only one holdout left; the rest of the planet felt, to his ki senses, black and empty, and this person's life force had stood out like a candle. It was also familiar.  
  
It was his mother. Flying at a speed he had never reached before, he arrived at Capsule Corporation just in time to see her collapse to the ground as Babidi and Darbura flew away.  
  
"MOM!" he'd screamed out at the top of his lungs as he landed next to her.  
  
"Trunks..." she'd said weakly.  
  
"I'm here. Don't try to talk."  
  
"Don't tell your mother what to do, boy," she had said, smiling faintly. "Just go get those two bastards, OK?  
  
"I will."  
  
"Good."  
  
"I love you, Mom."  
  
"I love you too, Trunks." And then she'd closed her eyes, breathed out, and moved on. Mirai rose to his feet. Tears began to pour from his eyes. All the rage he felt he let out in a monstrous roar of anger. And he tapped into a hidden reserve of power, just as Gohan had done in the other universe to defeat Cell. He'd reached what was known as Super Saiyan 2.  
  
Still screaming, he'd blazed a path to Babidi's spaceship. He destroyed the whole thing, and when the smoke cleared, only Babidi, Darbura, and the sphere that contained the essence of Majin Buu were intact. As the two evil ones looked at him in astonishment, he'd swooped down. One punch was sufficient to tear Darbura's head from his shoulders. He then advanced on Babidi, raised a foot, and lowered it with such force that it plunged straight through the sorcerer's skull, covering his boot in blood and other, even grislier materials.  
  
Then, leaving behind the sphere, he'd begun to fly. And he'd done so for two days.  
  
Finally, he went down to the ground. He collapsed and began to weep, punching the ground with such force that cliffs several miles away crumbled.  
  
"My poor, poor boy. No one deserves this much tragedy, least of all one so young."  
  
It was Kaio-sama's voice, but it sounded different. Raising his head, he saw the reason. Kaio-sama was standing before him in person, head bowed and hands behind his back. He was accompanied by a purple individual with a white mohawk, and a large red man.  
  
"My lord," Mirai had said as he fought to keep himself under control, "Who are these two?"  
  
"I am the Kaioshin," said the purple one, "supreme overseer of this reality. This is my servant Kibit. We wished to apologize."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"We should have detected the wizard's arrival on your planet," Kibit had replied in his deep voice. "Unfortunately, other matters distracted us from it when it happened. I am ashamed that I missed it. We could have saved your people."  
  
"It's not your fault. Is there a way we can bring them back? The other set of Dragonballs on Namek...?" A note of hope crept into his voice, but the Kaioshin had shaken his head.  
  
"I'm sorry, but they attacked Namek before they came to Earth, to try and get some life energy in advance."  
  
Nodding, Mirai rose to his feet. "I see. Well, pardon my rudeness, my lords, but I really must be going."  
  
"Where are you going?" Kaio-sama had asked.  
  
"To join my mother."  
  
"You can't. I understand that you must be overwhelmed by grief, but you can't simply kill yourself. You must warn the others."  
  
"Others...you mean the other timeline?! Of course! I've got to let them know! I think the time machine can hold up for one more trip!"  
  
"Yes. And then you should stay there."  
  
"What? You mean, live the rest of my life with them?"  
  
The Kaioshin nodded. "That's exactly what we mean. You may find there the happiness that has been so cruelly denied you here."  
  
"But...in that case, I'll never be able to see my mother again..."  
  
"Yes you will. The dimensional walls are weaker in the afterlives. Once you pass on, visits to this one from that one can easily be faciliated, trust me."  
  
"All right then. I guess that's what I'll do."  
  
***  
  
And that's what he had done. He had come to this timeline, only to find that they had already fought and defeated Babidi, Darbura, and Majin Buu. He'd taken up residence at Capsule Corp.  
  
And he'd met Jennifer.  
  
He smiled as he thought of her. They'd been on several dates, and he thought he might be falling in love with her. That was something that never could have happened back in his original reality...  
  
***  
  
"BROTHER! Hey, wake up!"  
  
He jerked his head up with a start and realized that he'd fallen asleep while thinking of Jennifer. His younger counterpart of this timeline was floating in front of him. They liked to think of themselves as brothers.  
  
"Oh, hey Trunks. Is something wrong?"  
  
"You bet something's wrong! You've been asleep for about a day and you're missing our birthday party!"  
  
"It's our birthday? I can't believe I forgot that tomorrow--I mean, today is our birthday."  
  
"I can't believe you forgot either," said Trunks, rolling his eyes. "I'm twelve! How about you?"  
  
"With all this time travel and spending a couple of years in the Room of Spirit and Time, it gets kinda complicated...let's just go with twenty-six."  
  
"Cool! Well, come on!" With that, Trunks grabbed his older counterpart's hand and dived down towards Earth.  
  
***  
  
Everyone at Capsule Corporation had shown up. Goten, of course, had also attended; he'd be eleven in just a few months. Jennifer was there as well, surprising Mirai by giving him a large kiss when he opened the door.  
  
The party was quite interesting. Trunks was blindfolded and allowed to swing at a pinata, which he utterly destroyed in one hit. Two birthday cakes were brought out, and with so many super-hungry Saiyans around, they didn't last long. And then it was time for presents.  
  
Trunks got the usual stack of presents that was taller than Nappa. There were toys from Bulma, Iroke, Goten, Yamcha, and Pu'ar. Vegeta had given him a set of training weights. Mrs. Briefs had baked him a tin full of cookies, and Dr. Briefs had constructed a new kind of Capsule bike just for him. Juunanagou--Android Seventeen--had whittled him a flute out of wood. The other full-blooded Saiyans had simply gotten him candy. Mirai had gotten him his own sword, though this one was, to Trunks's disappointment, plastic. Goku and Chi-Chi (mostly Chi-Chi) had baked him a couple of roasts. Gohan and Videl had managed to piece together a smaller Great Saiyaman outfit.  
  
Then it was Mirai's turn. All of his presents appeared to be the size of videos, which didn't surprise him. He'd told everyone how he loved movies. After he'd defeated the Androids and started to help rebuild his world, movies were the only luxury he allowed himself, in order to escape the hell that was reality.  
  
The first present he opened was from Bulma. Inside were two light romantic comedies. Next was Vegeta's present, which turned out to be a box set of the entire "Death Attack" series of bloody action movies. Dr. and Mrs. Briefs had bought him some old slapstick films. Juunanagou had gotten him some nature documentaries. Iroke had also gotten him romances. The present from Yamcha and Pu'ar was full of straight-up comedies. Goku and Chi-Chi (mostly Goku) had purchased videotapes of the previous Tenkaichi Budokai's. Gohan and Videl had given him some sci-fi films.  
  
He opened the one from Trunks and Goten. It contained some cartoons.  
  
"Thanks guys," he said, and ruffled their hair. All that was left was the present from Jennifer. "You know you didn't have to get me anything," he told the pretty redhead lawyer.  
  
"Come now," she said. "What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't get you something for your birthday? Now go ahead and open it."  
  
As he ripped open the wrapping paper, he wondered what it could be. Maybe some tense legal thrillers? Then he got to the movies. They definitely weren't legal thrillers. In fact, he wondered if they were even legal. He began to turn a deep shade of red.  
  
Bulma looked at them and began to snicker. "Better not let Goten and Trunks see those." As the others wandered over to see what they were, they also began to chuckle. When the two boys came over, he hid the movies back in the wrapping paper. He looked over at Jennifer, who winked at him. He turned even redder.  
  
"I think she just wanted to see your reaction," Bulma said.  
  
"Or, brat, she could be trying to drop a hint," growled Vegeta. Mirai was so shy that sometimes Vegeta despaired of having grandchildren until Trunks got older.  
  
***  
  
Later that night, in his room, Mirai closed his eyes and shuffled the movies into one big stack. He'd start with the one on the top, and view his way down.  
  
He opened his eyes. One of Jennifer's movies was on top.  
  
He sighed. He wondered about his luck sometimes. Before he could push play, however, he heard a creaking sound outside his door.  
  
He was there in a flash, opening the door to reveal Trunks, who had been trying to watch through the the space between door and floor.  
  
"Uh...hi big brother."  
  
"Hi Trunks. Isn't it past your bedtime?"  
  
His counterpart's shoulders sagged. "Yeah."  
  
"Then go to bed. Have a nice night."  
  
"You too."  
  
Shaking his head, he closed the door, and after making sure Trunks was really gone, pushed play. 


	5. A Connecticut Saiyan In King Gohan's Cou...

Being King of the Saiyans, Gohan decided, wasn't as bad as he'd thought it would be.  
  
Nappa had stayed with them, to be their butler, waiter, and general servant. And although this did reduce the number of places he and Videl could participate in certain activities, the positives outweighed the negatives.  
  
This was one of the positives. The two of them were sitting up in bed, enjoying a breakfast that wasn't quite as delicious as Gohan himself could make, but that didn't matter. Eating in bed together virtually assured a more pleasant start to the day than eating at the table. It was more comfortable, and since Gohan no longer had to fix breakfast himself it meant he could sleep in for an extra half-hour.  
  
Or at least, stay in bed with Videl for another half-hour. That didn't always translate to sleep.  
  
Gohan picked up the little bell on the bedside table and rang it. This was another part of being King that he liked. It gave him the ability to torment Nappa. Vegeta, Gohan felt, had redeemed himself several years ago for his initial attack on Earth. In his eyes the larger Saiyan, however, had not. And so he tormented him.  
  
Nappa materialized at the door. "You rang?"  
  
"Yes I did. We're done with these trays. Could you take them to the kitchen?"  
  
"Of course, Your Majesty." As he took the dishes back, he tried to block out the sounds beginning to come from the bedroom.  
  
***  
  
An hour later, the couple had left and Nappa was alone in the house.  
  
Time for the chores. Gohan and Videl had left a long list of things they wanted him to do while they were gone. And while he loathed this with every fiber of his being, they were his King and Queen. As such, he had a duty to them.  
  
He went to the cleaning closet and pulled out the vacuum cleaner. A Suitoru 3000, it was the most powerful model on the market and had been given to Videl at her wedding shower. Nappa unwound the cord and plugged it into a wall outlet, then activated the vacuum.  
  
Remembering the instructions he'd been given on how to work it, he pushed it forward. However, it refused to budge. He pushed again, but still it would not move. Cursing, he turned it off and bent down to examine it. The machine had sucked a section of the carpet up into itself. One almighty yank later, the two had been separated.  
  
He then turned the Suitoru 3000 down from the high setting.  
  
***  
  
After finishing that chore, he had a small snack consisting of five sandwiches before moving on to the next task. Dusting was a duty that even he could do, though it took a while; the royal couple hadn't been specific, so to be careful he'd just dusted every object in the house.  
  
Then it was time for lunch, which took longer than dinner parties for some entire families. When the mess from that was cleaned, it was time to scrub. Armed with a bucket and a brush he scoured every inch of the house's three bathrooms until they were sparkling white.  
  
He checked the list. That was the last task for the day. Satisfied that he'd fulfilled his obligations to his rulers, he put the cleaning equipment back up and promptly fell asleep on the couch.  
  
***  
  
When Gohan and Videl arrived, Nappa was still stretched out, snoring away. Videl went to the bathroom to freshen up as Gohan headed to the kitchen and began to make dinner.  
  
"I'll be damned," she said, "He actually cleaned up in here."  
  
"He cleaned up in here too," Gohan replied from the kitchen. "Looks like it's take-out tonight." 


	6. Love, Lunch, And A Lawyer

Several weeks passed without notable incident. Trunks and Goten destroyed several objects around Capsule Corp. while they were playing, but that was normal for them.  
  
Exactly one month after Vegeta had become human, Mirai tossed in his bed. He normally didn't have this much trouble going to sleep, most nights.  
  
But it wasn't most nights that he realized he was in love.  
  
Oh yes, he loved Jennifer. He knew it now. He had suspected it since several days before the birthday party, and ever since then that suspicion had grown, until tonight. He'd imagined what a world without the pretty redhead lawyer would be like, and the thought had made him shiver.  
  
Yes, he was in love. But how could he tell her? Should he tell her?  
  
He rolled over. The question that haunted him was, did she feel the same way about him? Sure, she'd kissed him several times, been on quite a few dates, and even referred to herself as his girlfriend…but did she really mean that? What if she had been kidding?  
  
If she had been, and he told her he loved her, he was afraid he might lose a very good friendship. Of course, if she felt the same way, and he didn't tell her, then their relationship may very well never bloom into the special kind his soul so desperately needed. Such was his dilemma.  
  
He turned over again, onto his back, and looked up at the ceiling in despair. He couldn't do this by himself. He needed help.  
  
***  
  
The next afternoon, he was seated at a table with the only two people he felt he could really rely on in matters of the heart. They'd each given him advice before, and so far had steered him right every time.  
  
As Gohan and Yamcha listened, he explained the tight spot he found himself in. When he was done, they thought for a few moments.  
  
"Well," Gohan said eventually, "Your situation certainly isn't unique. I felt the same way when I realized I loved Videl."  
  
"So how'd you resolve that?"  
  
"After about a week, I finally just worked up the courage to tell her. When I told her it had taken me that long, she punched me in the arm, then kissed me." He chuckled.  
  
Yamcha nodded. "Practically every guy in the history of the universe, if not the multiverse, has felt this way at some point. Facing down planet-destroying villains seems trivial by comparison to telling the person of your dreams that you love them." He took a sip of his drink.  
  
"So what do you think I should do?" asked Mirai.  
  
"You should probably try and do this soon. The longer you postpone it, the easier it is to keep postponing it until you never tell her at all."  
  
"Invite her over," Gohan offered. "Treat her to a meal. Somehow these things seem easier when there's food involved."  
  
"He's right," said Yamcha. "I can back him up on this, he's not just saying that as a Saiyan." All three of them laughed.  
  
***  
  
They talked some more for a while, and then Mirai called her house as the other two watched. After fifteen nerve-wracking seconds, she picked up.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Jennifer?"  
  
"Mirai? Is that you?"  
  
"Yeah. I was wondering if you could come over for lunch tomorrow." He began to unconsciously drum his fingers.  
  
"Let me check…yeah, I'm free. I don't have to be in court until 5:30. I can make it."  
  
"Thanks. See you tomorrow."  
  
"See ya!" She hung up, and Mirai followed suit. He turned to Yamcha and Gohan. "She can make it." They both grinned.  
  
***  
  
Gohan was able to twist his mother's leg sufficiently to make her agree that Trunks could come over to her house and play with Goten. The last thing Mirai wanted during what he hoped would be a romantic dinner was his counterpart running around.  
  
She arrived at 12:30. The two of them ate at a small table in the garden room that took up most of the first floor; he'd managed to convince everyone else to eat elsewhere.  
  
"Mm, this is nice," she said. His grandmother, Mrs. Briefs, had prepared a succulent meal just for the two of them.  
  
"Not as nice as you," he said, blushing just a bit. To his silent amazement, she followed suit.  
  
"Flattery will get you nowhere," she said, grinning.  
  
"Then in that case, let's try honesty." Suddenly serious, he laid down his fork and clasped her hands in his. "Jennifer…I have something I need to tell you."  
  
"Is something wrong?" she asked, her usual wry demeanor vanishing and being replaced by concern.  
  
"I hope not." He took a deep breath. "Jennifer…I love you. I've never felt this way about anyone before. I love you and I have to know if you feel the same way about me." He gazed into her eyes, his stare pleading for a response.  
  
She was silent for a moment. "Well," she said eventually, "I hate to tell you this, but no. I just thought of you as a good friend that I could kid around with."  
  
It had hurt less when Cell had killed him with an energy beam through his chest. "Oh," he said in a whisper. "I see. Um, well--"  
  
"Mirai?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I was joking."  
  
"What?"  
  
She smiled. "I'm a lawyer. We have to lie, at least at first. The truth is, I do feel the same way about you. I love you too."  
  
Those few sentences had suddenly turned this into the best day of his life. "Do you really mean that?"  
  
"Of course I do. Now kiss me, you fool. Kiss me, my love."  
  
They closed their eyes and leaned their heads together over the able. His old familiar friend, the blush, returned to his cheeks, but he hardly felt it. Their lips met in a kiss. They had kissed before, of course, but only as very good friends, not as lovers as they were now. It contained a passion that neither of them had experienced before.  
  
For one of the very first times in his life, he knew sheer, unbridled joy.  
  
***  
  
Unbeknownst to them, Vegeta and Bulma were watching from a window on the second-floor. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a tissue.  
  
"He's growing up on me," she said, sniffling.  
  
"Growing up on you?" he said, amused. "He was grown up when you first met him." 


	7. The Substitute

Gohan lay back in bed. Normally at this time of the morning he'd be getting dressed for work, or maybe still taking a shower if Videl was in there with him. But not this morning.  
  
"Achoo!"  
  
This morning he had the flu. Ever since he'd woken up he'd been coughing, sneezing, and blowing his nose. He'd also had a bad fever. Even Gohan, devoted educator that he was, knew better than to go to work today.  
  
Videl mopped his forehead with a wet washcloth. Normally the only things she had in common with her mother-in-law were her gender and her love for Gohan. But whenever he got sick, she displayed a strain of over-protectiveness that would have made Chi-Chi proud. Nappa stood nearby holding a tray with toast and warm tea. He was also ready to fetch any other food or drink the under the weather King of the Saiyans may ask for, as he was required to do as the loyal manservant.  
  
He coughed again. He supposed he needed to let his boss know. "Could you call up Dean Gakkan and let him know I won't be teaching classes today?" he asked Videl. "His number's in the cabinet, I think."  
  
She nodded. "Of course I can." She got up and walked to the kitchen. He waved at Nappa.  
  
"Do you desire something, sire?" the bulky Saiyan inquired, moving closer. Gohan answered by taking the cup of tea off of the tray and sipping from it. Videl re-entered the room, holding the mobile phone in one hand.  
  
"It's the dean. He says not to forget that under the new policy, if you're going to be sick for more than one day you need to choose someone to act as a substitute professor."  
  
Setting the tea back on the tray, Gohan muttered an expletive. "Tell him I'll think of someone later today and that when I do I'll let him know." Videl relayed the message, minus the invective, and hung up. She looked at her husband.  
  
"Any idea on who you're going to pick?"  
  
He closed his eyes and was silent for a few seconds. Then he said, "Unfortunately, I think I do. Nappa, time for you to act as messenger boy."  
  
***  
  
An hour and a half later, Piccolo walked into Gohan's bedroom. The scholar was still lying down, and Videl had just brought in a bowl of soup, which he was eyeing warily. She was many things…a beautiful and intelligent woman, a superb fighter, and his soul mate. But a natural-born cook she was not.  
  
"Sorry to see you're not feeling well," said the tall Namek as he ducked through the door. "What do you need to speak to me about?"  
  
Gohan explained the situation, in-between sneezes and coughs. When he was finished, Piccolo was skeptical. "I don't know," he said cautiously. "Can't you find someone with more experience, or is more suited to teaching?"  
  
"No," said the half-Saiyan. "Not on such short notice. And I don't know how long this damn flu is going to stay with me."  
  
"What about you?" Piccolo asked Videl. "You must know his lesson plans better than anyone." She shook her head.  
  
"I'm not leaving here while he's sick. I've already told Satan City's police chief not to expect either Great Saiyaman for a while."  
  
"Couldn't you just get Dende to heal you?"  
  
Gohan nodded. "I could, but I don't want to bother Kami-sama with something so trivial."  
  
"Then I'll do it."  
  
"Thank you, Piccolo-san. You don't know how much this means to me." He took a sip of his wife's soup. It was actually quite good.  
  
***  
  
The next morning, Gohan's first group of pupils entered the class to once again find him absent. With the strange mixture of patience and anxiety that can only be mustered by students waiting to leave class early, they awaited the clock to strike 8:15. It would be then that they could leave, the required 15 minute grace period having ended.  
  
Their fantasies were not to be granted.  
  
At exactly 8:00 the door burst open. A tall figure walked through, carrying a stack of books and papers. He was clad in a turban, an odd white cape, a purple fighting gi, and pointed boots. He looked a rather sickly shade of green. He stalked to the front of the room and sat behind the professor's desk, setting the stack of materials on top of it.  
  
"What's going on? Where's the professor?" one student demanded.  
  
"Professor Son is sick," the figure behind the desk said. "He has influenza. I'm substituting for him until he recovers."  
  
"And who're you?" another student asked.  
  
"I have many names. You can call me Mr. Namek." He grinned. It wasn't pleasant. 


	8. They Call Me MISTER Namek!

"...And that concludes our lecture for today," said Mr. Namek as he finished reading the last page of lecture notes Gohan had given him. "Are there any questions?"  
  
All 83 of the students were pale. They were either utterly immobile or shaking in their seats. Not one replied to him, or indeed, made any noise at all.  
  
"Good. Your homework assignment for tomorrow is to read chapters six, seven, and eight. There *will* be a test." In the entire history of academia, perhaps no other instructor had managed to imbue those five words with as much menace.  
  
One brave pupil managed to speak. "U-Um...Mister Namek sir? We don't have class again until the day after tomorrow."  
  
"Oh?" He checked a different sheet of paper. "I see you are correct." The students began to relax. They could read three chapters in two days. It'd be annoying, but they could do it.  
  
"In that case," the substitute continued, "Read chapters six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and eleven."  
  
***  
  
"How did class go?" Gohan asked. The scholar was beginning to feel better, but Videl (still displaying a strain of overprotectiveness rivaling her mother-in-law's) had decided he wasn't well enough yet to leave the bed.  
  
"It went fine," said Piccolo, who was leaning against a wall, watching with some amusement as Videl spoon-fed her husband soup. "I lectured from the notes you gave me and assigned some reading."  
  
"Students didn't cause any problems, did they?"  
  
"Oh, they were a bit unrestful at first, but I soon persuaded them to be quiet and listen."  
  
"I'm sure you did," Gohan said, chuckling at the mental images that had been conjured up. "Thanks again, Piccolo-san."  
  
"It's nothing," the Namek said, shrugging as he did so. "But I do have a question. Do you have that test I'm supposed to administer?" The half-Saiyan opened his mouth to reply, but his wife slipped the spoon in there before he could get a word out. After he swallowed the soup and she took out the utensil, he spoke.  
  
"Right, the test. On the table in the living room. Get about 90 copies printed in the copy room tomorrow."  
  
"I will do that. I shall see you tomorrow," he said, nodding at the couple.  
  
"Be sure to yell at Nappa on your way out," Videl called after him.  
  
"What did he do?"  
  
"Nothing. But a good yelling keeps him in line."  
  
Smiling despite himself, he walked to the table. He picked up the test, which seemed rather thick. But Gohan knew what he was doing.  
  
The young Saiyan royalty heard a brief yell of "NAPPA!" and then the sound of the front door closing. They chuckled for a moment, and then a brief look of worry crossed Videl's face.  
  
"Uh-oh. You forgot to tell him that that's really four different tests lumped together, so that you could discourage cheating."  
  
"Well, Piccolo-san's smart. I'm sure he'll figure it out."  
  
"Yeah." She yawned. "Do you mind if I get a little sleep?"  
  
"Of course not! Here, come on in."  
  
"I meant on the couch," she said wryly. "At least you're getting back to normal."  
  
***  
  
The day of the test came.  
  
"Next," called Hatsujou, the cantankerous elderly lady who served as the copy room secretary. When the green man, who towered at least six inches above everyone else in the room, stepped forward, she didn't bat an eye. "Whaddya need copied?"  
  
He slammed a huge stack of papers down on the desk. "I need 90 copies of this test for Professor Son's class."  
  
***  
  
The students flinched when Mr. Namek announced his arrival by slamming open the doors to the classroom. Wasting no time on formalities, he gave every student a test, walked to the front of the room, and said in a flat yet somehow still potentially lethal tone, "Begin."  
  
As all students do, they thumbed through the test to see what to tackle first. As they went on, and the questions continued to pile up, one by one they began to faint. At last, there was only one still conscious.  
  
"M-Mister Namek, this must be some mistake. There's m-more than 300 questions here! Professor Son usually gives us only about 75 or so!"  
  
Mr. Namek snarled. "Professor Son wrote that test himself! There is no mistake! I have known him since he was four and a half, and I have personally taught him for four years! I know him far better than any of you ever will! DO YOU QUESTION ME?"  
  
Pause.  
  
"I didn't think so." 


	9. Seduction Of The Innocent

"I cannot believe you," said Vegeta.  
  
It was the day after Mirai and Jennifer had revealed their love for each other. After the passionate kiss at lunch, they had watched some television while holding hands (Mirai blushing lightly the whole time), then Jennifer had gone home, though not before giving him another kiss.  
  
"What can't you believe?" Mirai asked.  
  
"She could have been yours, you know. I saw the look in her eyes. You could have led her to your bedroom and she wouldn't have minded. Hell, I bet she was looking forward to it. Instead, you let her go home. Of course, there's nothing wrong with going to her house," he added thoughtfully. "It's the letting her go there ALONE that's the problem."  
  
"Surely you're not suggesting what I think you are, are you?" Mirai said, looking at his father in disbelief.  
  
"All I'm saying is that neither your mother nor I would mind a grandchild." Being human was taking its toll on Vegeta; he normally wouldn't have phrased it nearly that delicately.  
  
Going quite red in the face, the purple-haired warrior rose from the couch. "You'll have grandchildren after we're married and not a day before." He stalked off in the direction of his room, leaving the other man shaking his head.  
  
***  
  
Mirai collapsed on his bed, also shaking his head. The nerve of his father...! Assuming that he wanted to...to...to become "better acquainted" with Jennifer...  
  
Alright, he did. He admitted it. But he wasn't going to straight out ask her, that was for certain. Oh yes...that was one of the things his mother had taught him--his *real* mother. He loved the counterparts of his parents in this reality, and he thought of them as his mother and father, but they weren't, really. His actual parents were both dead, in his home reality.  
  
He remembered one of the times he'd talked with her about it...  
  
***  
  
He had been in a bleaker mood than usual that day. After he finished his daily training, he'd simply begun staring out the window at the devastated remains of what had once been a large city.  
  
His mother walked up behind him. "Is something wrong, honey?"  
  
He'd sighed. "I dunno, Mom...I'm just kinda wondering what the point is. Even if I beat the androids, look at this." With a sweep of his arm, he had indicated the bleakness. "We'll be spending years, if not decades, rebuilding."  
  
She had rested her hand on his shoulder. "I know, but once you've won, things will get much easier. The rebuilding'll take time, yes, but we'll do it eventually. And besides, then you'll have some help."  
  
He turned his head to look at her. "What do you mean?" A small grin had formed on her face.  
  
"I know how hard it is, the loneliness. For me there's at least other scientists, but you're the only one fighting. But once peace has come back...well, then you'll be able to find that special someone. Somewhere out there is the perfect girl for you, darling. You'll find her and get married and start a family, and you won't be lonely anymore."  
  
"I sure hope so..."  
  
"Trust me. It may not seem like it now, but if there's one thing that I learned from Son, it's that the good get rewarded in the end. And I can't think of anyone better than you."  
  
It was only later that he'd remembered his mentor Gohan. He hadn't really been rewarded, unless you counted the eternal reward he'd achieved after death. But in this life? No, not really...  
  
He didn't tell these feelings to his mother.  
  
***  
  
As the memory faded, Mirai grinned humorlessly. He'd found the perfect girl, all right, but "somewhere out there" had turned out to be a different universe. And he'd only met her because Babidi and Darbura had killed everyone else on his home Earth, leading him to return to this Earth one last time to live out the rest of his days.  
  
And as for starting a family...naturally, he'd had practically no experience at all with girls. All he knew of such matters was what his mother had taught him. And she'd always taught him that you had a family *after* you were married.  
  
Not that she'd obeyed this rule herself, of course, but...  
  
He knew that Goku and Chi-Chi hadn't been up to anything until after they were married (though to be fair, they hardly knew each other until they got married), and he knew that Yamcha and Pu'ar weren't going to be up to anything until after their own wedding. Both Gohan and Videl, and Kuririn and Juuhachigou, were up in the air. As for his own parents, well, he was living proof that they hadn't waited.  
  
His own course was clear. He was going to follow Goku's example.  
  
If his father didn't drive him insane first.  
  
***  
  
A week later, he and Jennifer went out with Gohan and Videl. They were celebrating Gohan's dual victories: over the flu, and over a stack of supersized exams that had needed grading, after Piccolo had misinterpreted his instructions. They'd asked the other couple to come along with them.  
  
The four had ended up going to a dance club. After a few high-energy numbers, Videl and Jennifer had followed in the footsteps of women everywhere and journeyed to the bathroom together. Gohan and Mirai sat down at a table.  
  
"She seems like a nice girl," said Gohan, sipping from his drink.  
  
"You have no idea," Mirai replied, enthusiasm evident in his voice. "She's the best. She's smart, funny, witty, beautiful..."  
  
Gohan chuckled. "Good, good. Spoken like a true man in love. I'm glad to see you so happy. You certainly deserve it. Are you going to propose to her soon?"  
  
"No. I mean, I probably will, but not soon. I love her, but we've only been together a month, and that's just not long enough. But yes, hopefully in just a few months, I will."  
  
***  
  
"You probably know him better than I do," said Videl, "But based on what I've heard about him and what I know of him first hand, Mirai's a pretty nice guy."  
  
"Definitely," Jennifer said. "He's the politest man I've ever met. Probably the sweetest, too. He puts most everyone before himself. Really intelligent, not like some of the dumb idiots I've dated before. Pretty good-looking, too."  
  
Videl nodded. "Have you and he...um..."  
  
The older woman chuckled. "Nope. Apparently no one's told you, but when it comes to that, he's really shy. One of my favorite things is to tease him about it. I'll show you when we come out."  
  
***  
  
Videl and Jennifer found Gohan and Mirai. The martial artist sat down next to her husband, but the lawyer sat down on her boyfriend's lap, draped her arm across his shoulders, and said in her sultriest, most enticing voice, "Hey lover. Did you miss me?"  
  
The reaction was immediate. His entire face turned a bright scarlet. Gohan and Videl chuckled, while Jennifer apologized and planted a kiss on his cheek. Before Mirai could say anything, a new song started playing. It was a slow song, and the Son's rose and headed for the dance floor. The others weren't long in following.  
  
For someone with so little social experience, the time traveler proved to be a quite skilled dancer. They flowed across the dance floor like water; she was a little bit amazed. She was also a little amused to see that the intimate nature of the dance was causing, yes, a little blush.  
  
When the song was over, the two gazed into each others' eyes. He began stroking her reddish hair, and she did the same to his long violet hair.  
  
"I love you," she said after a moment.  
  
"And I love you."  
  
Wrapping their arms tight around one another, they leaned close and kissed passionately again, like they had a week ago. After a few seconds that seemed to last an eternity, while still being infinitesemally short, they stopped, and several of the other dancers applauded.  
  
***  
  
They spent the next few minutes just sitting and embracing one another. Then, sadly, it was time to go; Jennifer had an appearance in court.  
  
"I'll just go tell Gohan we're leaving," Mirai said. "He and Videl went to the bathroom."  
  
He entered the men's bathroom. Sure enough, there were Gohan's shoes in one of the stalls.  
  
There were also Videl's.  
  
A moment after seeing this, he heard two voices come from the stall, each one repeating a different pair of words: "Oh Videl" or "Oh Gohan."  
  
***  
  
"Did you tell him?" Jennifer asked.  
  
"...I think I'll just leave a note."  
  
***  
  
After dropping Jennifer off at her house, so she could get her court papers, Mirai drove back to Capsule Corporation. Once the aircar was parked, he headed to his room. He sat down on his bed and sighed, but it was accompanied by a wistful smile.  
  
How, he asked himself, was he supposed to hold out?  
  
It would take a lot of self-control, that was sure. Meditation probably wouldn't hurt either. Lots and lots of meditation.  
  
But, he found, with the day's memories floating in his mind, meditation was impossible. So instead he decided simply to take a nap.  
  
He lay back and soon dozed off...and had some very sweet dreams indeed. 


	10. Burying The Hatchet

Bulma and Pu'ar sat at a table in the Capsule Corp. kitchen, the former holding a pen and a pad of paper. They were planning Pu'ar's wedding to Yamcha. The couple had already drawn up a guest list, and now the scientist was checking it over.  
  
The list included fighters from the past several Budokai's, members of Yamcha's old baseball team, some friends of Pu'ar from shapeshifting school, and the usual assortment of planet-cracking warriors and their friends and family.  
  
"Looks pretty good," she said as she finished. "Very thorough. But we need to designate who's with you and who's with Yamcha."  
  
Pu'ar shrugged. "Well, we've been together for so many years that we pretty much have the same friends."  
  
Bulma sucked on her pen. "Good point. We'll come back to that. Hmm...picked anyone for a maid of honor?"  
  
"Well," she said, looking a bit sheepish, "I was wondering if you might want to do it."  
  
"I'm flattered, I really am. Since I'm married, that means I have to be matron of honor..."  
  
"What's the difference?"  
  
"Just the name. Has Yamcha picked a best man yet?"  
  
"He's thinking about it right now..."  
  
***  
  
The former desert bandit was stretched out on a couch in the living room. Other than him, it was empty (a rare occurence).  
  
Who to choose, who to choose...  
  
Goku? Nah, too obvious.  
  
Tenshinhan? He was a nice guy, but somehow he didn't seem suited for the role...  
  
Piccolo? Good idea, but Gohan had done it already.  
  
Kamesen'nin? Knowing him, he'd probably try to reach around the groom and fondle Pu'ar...  
  
And then he got an idea. An awful idea. Yamcha got a wonderful, awful idea!  
  
"I know just what to do!" Yamcha laughed in his throat.  
  
***  
  
Vegeta watched with some interest as his son and his son's best friend beat seven kinds of hell out of each other. Trunks and Goten were fighting in the gravity room. Not just sparring, actually fighting.  
  
It was the result of one of those childhood arguments that burn with the intensity of the sun but are as shortlived as a candle in the middle of a storm. By tomorrow the only remnants of the fight would be the bruises and they'd be friends again. It had happened several times before.  
  
He suddenly realized that he couldn't remember what they were fighting about.  
  
Bulma walked up to him. "What're ya doing?"  
  
"There's nothing good on television, so I'm watching Trunks and Goten fight." Privately, he thought that he'd never actually say that.  
  
His wife looked through the viewport. "What're they fighting about?"  
  
"Damned if I know. How's the wedding planning going?"  
  
She shook her head slightly, almost unable to believe he was actually showing an interest. "Pretty well. Pu'ar picked me to be her matron of honor."  
  
"Did you accept?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
"Congratulations."  
  
"Thanks. Guess who Yamcha picked as his best man?"  
  
"Let me guess, that baka Kakarot."  
  
"Nope. He picked you!"  
  
For a moment there was silence (save for the sounds of brutal combat from inside the gravity chamber). Then Vegeta turned his head to face her.  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"He wants you to be his best man at the wedding."  
  
"I knew it. I knew he was insane. Did he say WHY?"  
  
"He says that if it wasn't for you, he and Pu'ar never would have gotten together. I think it's sweet."  
  
"Well, I'm not going to do it--" he began, but the look on her face told him he most certainly would.  
  
"Or I could be mistaken," he finished.  
  
"That's what I thought," Bulma said. "But you'll be happy to know that he's relieved you of the role of organizing a bachelor party. He'll get Kuririn to do that, and I'll make sure everyone necessary is paid. All you'll have to do is hand him the ring and make the first toast."  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"And you get to escort the matron of honor."  
  
"Now that I have no problem with." 


	11. Legal Briefs

"Damn it!"  
  
"What is it?" Bulma asked from the kitchen. Vegeta was in the living room. It was a week after he had been chosen as best man.  
  
"I stabbed myself with this thing!"  
  
"What thing?" She walked into the living room, and when she saw what her husband was holding she laughed as hard as she ever had in her life. "MY MOTHER'S SEWING KIT?"  
  
"Yes, and the damn needle slipped." He noticed the expression on his wife's face. "What?"  
  
"Do I really want to know why you're sewing?"  
  
"Because I need something to pass the time until I can regain my throne."  
  
"Not to mention your species...Well, I can think of some better things for you to try than sewing. Come with me." She took the sewing kit from him, set it on the floor, and led him toward the front door, where they almost literally ran into Jennifer.  
  
"Hello Mr. Briefs, Mrs. Briefs. Are you going somewhere?"  
  
"Yes, we were just headed out. If you're looking for Mirai, he's not here," replied Bulma.  
  
"Oh, I know. As a matter of fact, it was you two I was looking for. Mirai and I have agreed on something..."  
  
***  
  
As he turned the last corner, Mirai whistled in surprise as he saw Jennifer's parents' house. Her own house was rather modest; small, not much more than a "bachelorette pad" really. But her parents' house was...big. Not as big as Capsule Corporation of course. In fact, now that he looked at it again, it wasn't even very big compared to normal houses. It was just that it was bigger than he had expected, after Jennifer's house.  
  
He pulled into their driveway and capsulized his aircar, then walked up the steps and rang the doorbell. As he waited, he began to think about how this had come about. A couple of days ago, he and Jennifer had been out on a date, and they'd decided that they needed to learn more about each other's parents. Which had led to this.  
  
The door was opened by a middle-aged man, beginning to lose his hair and sporting a gray mustache. "May I help you?"  
  
"Mr. Bengoshi?"  
  
"That's right. What can I do for you, young man?"  
  
"I'm Mirai Briefs. Jennifer may have mentioned me?"  
  
"Oh, that's right. She said you'd be coming over. Come on in and take a seat, I'll get my wife."  
  
Stepping through the doorway and into the living room, Mirai sat down in a chair near the corner of the room. He heard Mr. Bengoshi in the next room.  
  
"Honey, Jennifer's boyfriend is here."  
  
Unseen by them, the young man smiled slightly.  
  
***  
  
"That sounds like a fabulous idea!" Bulma said, clapping her hands together as Jennifer finished telling them about what she and Mirai had worked out. "Isn't that a good way to get to know her?" she asked Vegeta.  
  
"Yes, fabulous," he said in a monotone. He was less than thrilled with this announcement; he'd wanted to minimize the number of people who saw him humiliated.  
  
Either not noticing his disapproval or simply ignoring it, Bulma turned back to Jennifer. "You can come with us. We're trying to find him a hobby...something to pass the time. While we look, how about you tell us all about yourself?"  
  
The lawyer shrugged. "Sounds good to me."  
  
"Good. Well, let's go!" Bulma walked out the door. Vegeta shot a nasty look at Jennifer, who merely smiled in return.  
  
***  
  
"Mirai Briefs..." Mr. Bengoshi said thoughtfully, tapping his chin. "You fought in the Tenka'ichi Budokai, didn't you?"  
  
"Yes sir. I made it to the quarter-finals, where my father defeated me in a 4-3 judges' decision."  
  
"That's where you met our daughter, right?" asked Mrs. Bengoshi, a slightly overweight woman who seemed very kind.  
  
"Yes ma'am. After I'd lost, she handed me a towel to wipe myself off with, and there just seemed to be some kind of instant connection."  
  
"And you've been dating ever since?"  
  
He shook his head slightly. "Well...yes and no. We've been friends ever since then, for the past seven months or so, but we didn't actually officially become boyfriend and girlfriend until about a month ago."  
  
"And how are things going?" asked the older man.  
  
Mirai sighed pleasurably. "I can say in all honesty that this has been the happiest time of my life. So far everything between the two of us is great, and I sure hope it all stays that way."  
  
***  
  
"So, Jennifer, what law firm do you work for?" Bulma asked. She was driving an aircar down the City of the West's main street. Vegeta sat beside her, and their guest was in the back seat.  
  
"I'm at Yarutemae, Taosukarera and Donnani. They said they might make me a partner in a few years."  
  
"Congratulations. What kind of cases do you handle?"  
  
"Business, mostly. If you guys wanted to sue another company, and had us take the case, they'd probably give it to me. That kind of thing."  
  
"I see," said the scientist, filing the firm's name away. "Well, here we are, Vegeta. We should be able to find something for you to do at this hobby store."  
  
***  
  
Twenty minutes later, Mirai pulled into the Capsule Corporation parking lot, just ahead of his parents and girlfriend.  
  
"Hi Mom. Hi Dad. Hey Jen," he said as they all got out of their cars. Vegeta grunted in his direction as he walked by, Bulma gave him a hug, and Jennifer kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Uh, Mom, why is Dad carrying some big books of crossword puzzles?"  
  
She chuckled. "You don't want to know, you really don't."  
  
Jennifer spoke up. "Hey Mirai, you wanna come home and have dinner with me?"  
  
"Sure. What's to eat?"  
  
"Leftovers. I got too many and if we don't eat them tonight they'll go bad. As you can see, I spare no expense for my guests."  
  
***  
  
"That was a great dinner," the time-traveller said two hours later. He lifted her hand to his lips and lightly kissed it. "My compliments to the chef."  
  
"Why sir, you flatter me." They laughed slightly.  
  
"I wish I could spend more time with you," she continued, "But I got this damn paper I gotta type, and I'll have to bust my ass as it is to finish it by morning."  
  
"Let me type it for you."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yeah, my mother's taught me how to type fast. You can go ahead and get a few extra hours of sleep, and I'll type the paper and have it for you in the morning."  
  
"If you say so." She handed him her source material, notes and rough written drafts, and gave him a basic outline of how long it should be and so-forth.  
  
"Is that everything?" he asked when she was done.  
  
"Yep. Good luck typing, and thanks a million for doing this."  
  
"No thanks are necessary, I don't mind at all."  
  
"Well, you're going to get some anyway." She leaned forward and kissed him. "Good night, Mirai. I love you."  
  
"Love you too." She exited to her bedroom, and he began to type.  
  
***  
  
Most people awaken to the sound of either birds or alarm clocks, or in extreme cases snoring.  
  
This morning Jennifer awoke to the sound of printers. She instantly snapped fully awake and ran into the kitchen.  
  
She said, "Mirai, I forgot to tell you--" and stopped. He was loading some food onto a plate.  
  
"Morning," he said, nodding to her. "I made you breakfast. And I got your paper printing."  
  
"That's what I forgot to tell you. It needs to have some certain footers and things," she said, running her fingers through her red hair.  
  
"I know. I took care of it."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Just go check it out," he said, grinning.  
  
She walked into the room with the computer and printer, and checked out the paper that had just finished printing. Sure enough, he'd gotten everything right.  
  
"How did you know?" she asked as she returned to the kitchen.  
  
"I looked through a couple of your recent papers. Hope you don't mind."  
  
"No, not at all," she said, shaking her head. "And thanks for breakfast."  
  
"No problem." After they ate, she took a shower, got dressed, put on her makeup, and got ready to leave.  
  
"Thanks so much for the help," she said.  
  
"I didn't mind at all." He stifled a yawn. "But, um, do you mind if I spend the day here? Without any sleep, I don't really feel up to flying."  
  
"Sure, you can stay. Go take a nap in my bed, it's certainly more comfortable than the couch. Well, I'm gonna run down to the office. Wanna stay the whole day and have dinner again when I get home?"  
  
"OK, I'm up for that."  
  
"Good. I'll see you tonight, my love." She pulled him close and kissed him deeply, then picked up her briefcase full of papers and left. Mirai smiled wistfully after her, then went to lie down in her bed for just a few minutes. Just a few minutes...  
  
***  
  
When Jennifer returned that evening, she could hear some light snoring coming from her bedroom. Walking in, she saw that he was asleep in her bed.  
  
"Mirai, honey, I'm home." No response. She shook him lightly. Still he didn't wake.  
  
Then she got an idea...  
  
***  
  
Mirai awoke to find that his arms were wrapped around someone.  
  
"Hey Trunks," he muttered with his eyes still closed. His "younger brother" occasionally liked to crawl into bed with him. Then he remembered where he was.  
  
And besides...Trunks, last time he checked, didn't have...those...  
  
Hurriedly removing his arms, he opened his eyes and saw Jennifer curled up next to him. When she saw his eyes were open, she grinned. Then she pinned him down and gave him another, even more passionate kiss (he swore that for a moment he could feel her tongue). When she had finished, she chuckled and led him out of bed to the kitchen.  
  
***  
  
After dinner, they watched some TV, then they said their good-byes (as well as shared another kiss). Mirai flew back to Capsule Corp. Bulma and Vegeta were in the living room.  
  
"Well, well, look who's back," said his father. "So, boy...how was she?"  
  
"DAD!"  
  
"Pay no attention to him. Did you have a good time at her house, or did you have a...good time...?"  
  
"MOM!"  
  
He walked to his room, shaking his head.  
  
Parents... 


	12. Holy Matrimony!

Vegeta slammed closed his first book of crossword puzzles, having just finished the last puzzle in it. It had now been four months since his transformation; his ordeal was two-thirds over.  
  
One of his ordeals, that is. His other ordeal was even closer to completion. Pu'ar and Yamcha's wedding was less than a week away, though he hadn't chosen a toast yet.  
  
Setting the book of puzzles aside, he tried to think of one. He'd been at it unsuccessfully for about five minutes when Raditz and Iroke came walking through the living room.  
  
"Ah, Raditz. Can you think of a good toast I can give at this idiot's wedding?"  
  
The Saiyan scratched his chin for a moment, and looked at his very pregnant wife; indeed, the baby was due any day now. She shrugged.  
  
"Well," he said eventually, "There's an old saying that lower-class Saiyans like myself used to tell whenever one of us got mated..."  
  
"Out with it then."  
  
Raditz said it, and Vegeta nodded. "Yes, that could work..."  
  
***  
  
It was the day before the wedding. Pu'ar was having a talk with Oolong on Kamesen'nin's island.  
  
"So you're never going to change shape again?" Oolong asked incredulously.  
  
"That's right," replied Pu'ar. "From here on out...I'm human to stay."  
  
"But how come?"  
  
"Well, for one thing, it'd be kinda strange if I'm married to Yamcha but I keep shifting into non-human forms. Wouldn't feel quite right. And besides...who knows what shifting could do to any 'little guests' who may come along?" She blushed slightly.  
  
Oolong's jaw dropped. "Wait...you're telling me that you and Yamcha COULD HAVE KIDS?!"  
  
"Mm-hmm. I went back to our old school and did some research, and it turns out that, yes...we can start a family."  
  
He just stared.  
  
***  
  
The next day, the guests all took their proper places. Goku was surprised at the number of fighters from old Tenka'ichi Budokai's. Aside from the various members of the Earth's Special Forces, he saw Namu, Giran, Ran Fuan, Bacterian (who had fortunately bathed), as well as some of the participants from the last one. Apparently, even though Yamcha hadn't actually fought in that one, he knew some of the fighters.  
  
He almost fainted when he saw the Budokai Announcer. Goku had always partially believed that he just dematerialized at the end of each tournament and winked back into existence in time for the next one.  
  
Vegeta and Bulma, their arms linked, walked up the aisle. When they reached the end, they split and took up their respective positions as best man and matron of honor. The priest nodded.  
  
Having received his signal, Yamcha walked up the aisle as well and stood beside Vegeta.  
  
Next came Pu'ar. Both she and Yamcha had been orphans since before they first met Goku, so instead she was walked down the aisle by Oolong, who had taken one of his old 'charming' human forms. Once she was standing next to Bulma, he turned and almost ran back, to make sure that his five minute time limit didn't expire in view of everyone else.  
  
The priest read the vows, which both Yamcha and Pu'ar, of course, responded to with "I do." The priest nodded again, and Vegeta handed the groom his ring, which he slipped onto Pu'ar's finger. Bulma then handed the bride her ring, and she placed it onto Yamcha's.  
  
"If there be any present who believe these two should not be united, speak now or forever hold your--"  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"  
  
Everyone turned to face Raditz and Iroke, seated in one of the back rows.  
  
Iroke had begun to go into labor.  
  
Raditz began to panic. "Where's the hospital?!"  
  
To everyone's surprise, Juunanagou leapt out of his seat. "I'll drive you, I know the way." Raditz gently lifted Iroke into his arms and followed the android out the door.  
  
After a moment of utter silence, in which everyone pondered how Juunanagou knew the way to the hospital, the priest resumed the ceremony. "Then I pronounce you man and wife!" He turned to Yamcha. "You may kiss the bride."  
  
He did, and practically everyone cheered at the top of their lungs.  
  
***  
  
At the reception, Vegeta stood to give the customary first toast, which Raditz had told him.  
  
"May the night be pleasurable and the dawn long in coming."  
  
Bulma hit him upside the head.  
  
***  
  
All the eligible men had lined up for the throwing of the garter. As Yamcha threw it into the air, Trunks flashed into Super Saiyan for a brief moment, jumped forty feet straight up, and caught it. When he landed, he stretched it out and slipped it onto his head, like a bandana.  
  
Next, Pu'ar threw the bouquet. There was another flash of golden light, and this time Goten caught the prize. Almost everyone began to snicker.  
  
"How about that, Trunks?" Goten said. "We're gonna get married!" For one of the first times in his life, Trunks found himself unable to speak.  
  
"THROW AGAIN!" Vegeta demanded at the top of his voice. After they recovered the items from the boys, they did so. This time it was Mirai who snagged the garter, and Jennifer the bouquet. The lawyer draped herself around the time traveller, who blushed a bit, but not as much as he once would have.  
  
"There, do you see boy?" said Vegeta, smirking. "It's a sign from fate, to get together and have grandchildren."  
  
For once, Mirai retorted. "Yeah, well, you didn't like the sign that fate gave a few minutes ago, did you?" As his father fumed, Jennifer gave him a high-five.  
  
***  
  
It was a relatively short and uneventful labor, though there was still plenty of time for Iroke to vow that Raditz would never touch her again. But when it was over, the universe had its first female half-Saiyan, named Kasaiyoku.  
  
***  
  
Yamcha and Pu'ar unlocked the hotel room they'd reserved for their honeymoon and sat down their luggage. They put an arm around each other's waist and walked, together, to the large picture window. It gave a spectacular view of the ocean.  
  
"So beautiful..." Pu'ar whispered.  
  
"Not as beautiful as you," Yamcha said just as softly.  
  
His new wife laughed a bit. "Did you ever think we'd be seeing it as newlyweds?"  
  
"Not for a while, no," replied her new husband. "I only wish the thought had crossed my mind sooner..."  
  
He brought his lips to meet hers.  
  
Sometimes, you don't need words. 


	13. The Calm Before...

Gohan wiped his mouth with a napkin, and rang the small bell. Nappa materialized next to the table. "Yes, sire?"  
  
"Wash and dry these dishes."  
  
"Yes, sire." As the bald Saiyan removed the plates, Gohan and Videl chuckled.  
  
"So how have you enjoyed being king?" she asked.  
  
"It's not as bad as I thought it would be," he responded. "And I have to admit, it's nice to have a personal servant." Stretching his arms, he arose from the table. "Well, I guess I need to get started on that lecture now."  
  
From the sink, Nappa said, "Would you like me to write it down for you, sire?"  
  
"The answer's the same as it has been for the last five months: no."  
  
"As you wish, sire." As Gohan headed into the living room to write, Videl tried (and failed) to get the idea of Professor Nappa out of her head...  
  
***  
  
Several hours later, Videl turned over in the bed. She was the only one in it. Slipping out of bed, she walked into the living room where her husband was still sitting at the table, hunched over a sheaf of paper.  
  
"Gohan?"  
  
"Mm?" He definitely sounded fatigued.  
  
"How's it going?"  
  
He ran a hand through his hair. "Terrible. I can't figure out how to properly explain some of the more complex workings of the nervous system in terms my students will understand."  
  
The queen of the Saiyans shuffled over to him. "Well, if anyone can do it, it's you."  
  
"I appreciate the confidence, though it looks like it might be misplaced."  
  
Now she was standing right behind him, and as she spoke she wrapped her arms around his chest. "Nonsense. You're the king of the Saiyans, the mightiest being in the universe. Surely you won't let yourself be defeated by a mere lecture?"  
  
He laughed. "I dunno, I think this one has me pinned."  
  
"If that's the case, come on to bed and you can finish it in the morning. Or just make it up as you go along."  
  
"You really think that could work?"  
  
"Why not? All the best teachers improvise, and you're the best teacher I know."  
  
"I'm not the bes--"  
  
"You are. You taught an impatient teenage girl how to harness her life-force to fly and fire blasts of power. I don't know anyone else who could have done that." She planted a kiss on his cheek. "I'm going back to bed, but I'll try and stay awake until you come in. If I can't manage it, I love you."  
  
"I love you too." As Videl re-entered the bedroom, Gohan wrote a few more lines. He began to tap his pencil against his chin, all the while casting quick glances in the direction she had gone. After a few moments, he suddenly threw his pen down on the table and rose from his chair.  
  
"It can wait."  
  
***  
  
The next morning, he was able to finish his lecture by writing it and eating breakfast at the same time. As often happens, his mind had worked on the problem when he was asleep and presented him with the solution when he'd awoken. He'd come up with a few analogies that all of his students should be able to understand without too much trouble, though he had to admit to himself that some of his pupils had amazed him by the mere fact they'd even made it into college in the first place. Once he took a shower and got dressed, he used Instantaneous Movement to teleport to college, using the ki signature of Dean Gakkan as a target.  
  
If this technique had a downside, it was that occasionally the dean would be in the bathroom at the time. And since Gohan was always careful not to re-appear too close to the dean, so as not to startle him, this meant that he would rematerialize in the next room over. That is, the ladies' bathroom. Fortunately, he hadn't yet done so while the bathroom was occupied, though he did get some strange looks from other faculty members whenever he walked out. He'd always have to pretend like he'd made a mistake and then go right into the men's room.  
  
***  
  
A few minutes after Gohan departed, Videl did so as well, activating her Great Saiyaman Two costume and flying off for Satan City. Nappa was alone in the house, as he was most every weekday at this time.  
  
At last.  
  
After performing a few minor chores around the house, he sat in front of the television and turned it on. It was time, as they say, for his story.  
  
"...Last week on 'Naito Aijin,' we left our heroes Zap and Troy as they concluded the quest for the lost city. What new adventures will they face as..."  
  
"Hey Nappa!" said Videl as she opened the door. Nappa hurriedly switched the television off.  
  
"Is something wrong, madam?"  
  
"Nah, I just left my wallet." She ducked into her bedroom and retrieved it, then headed back to the door. "Have a good day."  
  
"You too, madam." When she had closed it behind her, he breathed a sigh of relief and switched the set back on.  
  
***  
  
"...And that concludes our lecture on the nervous system. Have a nice weekend, I'll see you on Monday," said Gohan as one of his classes ended for the week. As his students filed out, he smiled to himself. It was impossible to be sure, of course, but he thought he'd managed to get the information across fairly well. At the very least, none of them seemed to be completely baffled.  
  
He was also very glad it was almost the weekend. The weather forecast had told them to expect one of those crazy April storms over the next couple of days, and that was one of the best kinds of weekend weather. One of he and his wife's favorite ways to spend the weekend was to be holed up in the house, snuggling together and listening to the distant roar of the wind through the trees, the patter of the rain on the windows and the soothing voice of Hiyori Tenkiyohou the meteorologist...  
  
"Professor Son?"  
  
He opened his eyes, only now realizing he'd closed them. His next class had entered the room and were now waiting for him to do something.  
  
"Yes. Er. Today we learn about the nervous system..."  
  
***  
  
Videl swooped just above the city's rooftops, keeping an eye out for any illicit or suspicious activities. Not even she could stop all crime in the bustling metropolis, but she'd be damned if she didn't give it a try.  
  
Below her, she saw three men in an alley. Two of the men were pointing guns at the third, who had his hands raised in the air. She stopped flying and simply dropped straight down, landing on one man's head, who was instantly knocked out. Before the second gunman could react, Videl kicked him once in the face, and he too was unconscious. She picked both men up by their collars.  
  
"Make sure to come by the police station later to identify these two," she instructed the near-victim, who nodded. She then took off for the law enforcement headquarters, dropped off the would-be muggers, and again rose to the sky. Dark clouds were beginning to drift in, and a breeze ruffled her cape even more than usual.  
  
She grinned. Looked like they'd definitely get one of those crazy April storms.  
  
***  
  
Nappa hated storms. They tended to knock out the power at the most dramatic moments in "his stories." 


	14. ...The Storm

All was dark. Then, Vegeta opened his eyes. But it didn't help. There seemed to be a sack or something over his head, though it was loose enough that he could breathe freely.  
  
Experimentally, he tried to move his hands. They were tied together.  
  
There was a dull ache in the back of his head. The last thing he remembered was watching television alone while everyone else had been out. He supposed that some person or persons unknown must have fooled or disabled the Capsule Corp. security systems, snuck in, whacked him in the back of his head, and kidnapped him.  
  
Accurse this weak human body.  
  
He could not, for the moment, escape. So while he waited for the situation to change, he mulled over who could have taken him hostage. Another member of the Red Ribbon Army that idiot Kakarot had missed? One of Freeza's thugs? The list was nearly endless...  
  
***  
  
"Vegeta, we're home!" Bulma cried as she entered the living area of Capsule Corp. No one answered. "Vegeta? We have guests." Goku and Oolong had decided to come visit for old times' sake; along with Yamcha and Pu'ar, who had returned from a wonderful honeymoon a couple of weeks ago, it would be a reunion of the first five members of the loosely structured group that would eventually be known as the Earth's Special Forces.  
  
When she still didn't receive a response, she frowned.  
  
"Vegeta not home?" Yamcha asked.  
  
"No...and I don't see a note or anything saying where he went. Not like him."  
  
Before the group could speculate further, one of the household robots rolled up to Bulma.  
  
"MA'AM, YOU HAVE A CALLER UPON THE VIDEOSCREEN." Bulma's frown deepened.  
  
"What's wrong?" Goku asked.  
  
"The videoscreen is rather advanced technology...I can't think of a dozen people who even know about it, much less have another videoscreen they can use to call us." She followed the robot to the videoscreen room, and the other four followed her. She pressed the button marked "Receive Call," and a familiar face appeared on the screen which took up an entire wall.  
  
"Emperor Pilaf!"  
  
"Yes, indeed," said the diminuitive would-be world conqueror. "And...oh, such a shame. 4 out of the 5. Too bad the feline isn't here."  
  
"No, I'm here," Pu'ar said, her voice cold.  
  
"Oh, that's right, you can shapeshift. In that case, excellent. In any case, Mrs. Briefs, I have something you may be interested in." He nodded to something offscreen, and his two henchpeople, the woman Mai and the dog Shu walked into view, escorting a bound and blinded--  
  
"VEGETA!"  
  
"Exactly. I have kidnapped your husband." Bulma tried to lunge at Pilaf through the screen. He involuntarily took a step back, and Goku and Oolong had to restrain her.  
  
"You bastard...what do you want with him?"  
  
"To be honest, the world-conquering business isn't as cheap as it used to be. So here's the bargain: In exchange for your husband, I want either 100 million zeni, or a working Dragon Radar. The one I had got broken." As he spoke, in the background, Shu and Mai carried Vegeta back out sight and talked for a moment. Then Shu reached for a phone.  
  
"And don't even think about a rescue attempt," continued Pilaf. "There's no way you could ever enter our totally hidden, utterly self-sufficient base--"  
  
"Excuse me, Emperor Pilaf," Shu interrupted, "But what do you want on your pizza?"  
  
"Pepperoni." He paused, and realized what he'd said. "*Anyway*, you'd never even be able to find us--"  
  
"Our address is 1 Hidden Base Lane, Ginger Town," Shu said quite loudly into the phone.  
  
"AND EVEN IF YOU DID FIND US," Pilaf said loudly, "You'd never be able to get past our security systems."  
  
"To get through the big gate, just enter 5834 into the keypad. Then press the slightly off-color brick to disable the lasers."  
  
For a moment, the leader hung his head, then rallied magnificently. "Still, you'll never get your husband back unless you pay one of our ransoms. Choose, Mrs. Briefs. I'll contact you with more details later." The viewscreen went black.  
  
***  
  
Now that he knew his captors, Vegeta relaxed. Pilaf would never be able to hurt him.  
  
***  
  
For a moment, there was silence. Then Yamcha spoke up.  
  
"You know, I wonder why Pilaf and those two are still alive. I thought all the evil people were supposed to have stayed dead after Buu blew up the planet."  
  
Goku grinned and scratched his head. "Well, to be honest, I never really thought of Pilaf and Shu and Mai as evil. It's more like three kids playing supervillain. Just kinda goofy."  
  
Bulma begin to hiss. She clenched her teeth and fists, causing the others to step away from her.  
  
"The hell if I pay," she said after a moment. "We're going to rescue Vegeta. Let's see...we'll need someone who can get in without being recognized..." Her eyes flickered to Pu'ar.  
  
"Not me," she replied. "No more shape-shifting, just in case." It had, after all, been a *wonderful* honeymoon.  
  
"Ok, I understand. Then that leaves...you."  
  
"ME?!" cried Oolong.  
  
"Yes, you," Bulma said harshly. "Five minutes is enough to get past the entrance and whatever surveillance they might have."  
  
Seeing there was no hope of getting out of it, the pig relented. "Oh, all right. But I'm not going alone."  
  
"I wouldn't ask you to do that...hmm, who can we send? Someone who knows how Pilaf operates but perhaps wouldn't be recognized..."  
  
***  
  
"What do you need?" asked Piccolo.  
  
"You've worked with Emperor Pilaf, right?" Goku asked as Dende and Mr. Popo looked on curiously. Piccolo's brow furrowed.  
  
"Pilaf? Yes, he was the one who freed me in the first place. Why?"  
  
"Bulma wants to talk to you..." 


	15. Operation Delivery

While Goku was off fetching Piccolo, one by one all other denizens of Capsule Corp. returned. As they heard Bulma's story, they all offered to blast through Pilaf's base and rescue Vegeta. But the scientist put her foot down; she wanted to be careful just in case, which was why she was only sending Oolong and Piccolo.  
  
However, there was one resident who did not return.  
  
"Trunks, have you seen your brother?" Bulma asked.  
  
"No, Mom. Why?"  
  
"He's been gone since yesterday afternoon, and he didn't tell me where he went, and I can't find him anywhere. His cellular phone's off, and no one's answering at Jennifer's house." She bit her lip. Her maternal instincts were kicking in. Part of her mind tried to tell her that technically, Mirai wasn't *her* son. Her heart and the rest of her brain told that portion to shut the hell up.  
  
"Want me to go look for him?"  
  
"No, that's OK. I'll give him a few more hours."  
  
As she finished speaking, Goku and Piccolo materialized amongst everyone. The Namekian looked as if he were trying very hard to keep from smirking.  
  
"So...Vegeta was captured by Pilaf, eh?"  
  
"Yes," said Bulma, walking to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "And will you go get him? You know how Pilaf works better than anyone..."  
  
He nodded. "I will." To himself alone he added, *And the opportunity to see Vegeta humiliated like this is one I cannot pass up.*  
  
"Thank you. Oolong will be your companion."  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Piccolo glanced at the pig. He was leaning in a corner of the room, arms crossed and looking sullen. He did not seem to appreciate the thought of walking into a high-tech supervillain base.  
  
"Very well. Let's go now." Nodding in agreement, Bulma glared at Oolong. The shapeshifter heaved a sigh and began to walk towards the door with Piccolo. Before they could reach it, however, it was flung open by Mirai.  
  
There wasn't a scratch on him, but he looked like he felt awful. His forehead was covered with a sheen of sweat, and judging by the way he was clutching at the wall, he could barely stand on his own. His mouth seemed to be locked in a grimace of pain. The room fell silent as everyone stared, horrified. Bulma rushed to him and supported him.  
  
"Are you OK?" she asked, her voice a breathless whisper.  
  
"No...I feel horrible." Every word seemed to be causing him agony. Goku joined Bulma in supporting him, taking his other side.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Jennifer won a big legal case against Z-TV...and I mean big, the final penalty against them was more than a hundred million zeni. So she invited me over to celebrate."  
  
"Go on," said Bulma as she and Goku sat him down on a chair. He slumped forward, resting his head in his hands.  
  
"Well, as a way of showing their appreciation for her hard work, her firm said they'd consider making her a partner, and they gave her some wine, too, as a gift. By the time we finished celebrating, we'd had three bottles." Everyone sighed in relief; they could see where this was going. "We made out for a while on her couch..." Yamcha realized that if he was able to discuss it so casually, and without blushing, he must *really* be in pain.  
  
"After a while, she went to bed, and I spent the night on the couch. The next morning, when I woke up...ohhh..." he groaned, and rubbed his forehead. "The sunlight was painful, so we closed the shades. That helped a little bit. Then we took a shower--SEPARATELY, that is. We each took a separate shower," he added hurriedly. "That helped some more, and after a little while I was finally able to make it back here."  
  
Bulma frowned. "I called over there but no one answered..."  
  
"She took the phone off the hook. The ringing was too painful."  
  
"Poor boy." She began to stroke his hair, but he yelled.  
  
"AH! That hurts!" She quickly took her hand away. "Anyway, I'm gonna go lie down for a year or twenty." As he rose, he finally managed to grin. "It's kinda funny...Jennifer's my first girlfriend and first love. She's given me my first date, my first hug, my first kiss, and now, my first hangover." As everyone else chuckled, he staggered off in the direction of his bedroom.  
  
"I remember when His Majesty had a hangover during our road trip," said Raditz, grinning. "Like father, like son."  
  
"Well, that was an amusing interlude," said Piccolo, showing not a trace of amusement at all. "Now let's go rescue Vegeta." He gestured at Oolong to follow him.  
  
***  
  
"Here's your dinner, Mr. Briefs," said Mai, pushing the tray containing the meal through the hole in the bars. Vegeta grunted acknowledgement and began to wolf down the food. Mai walked to the main control room, where Pilaf and Shu were watching all the monitoring devices.  
  
"How's the prisoner?" Pilaf asked when she entered.  
  
"Doing well, sire. I just gave him his dinner," she replied.  
  
"Good. Speaking of dinner, when is that pizza going to get here?"  
  
"That should be the delivery man coming now, sire," said Shu, pointing to one of the monitors. There was a car driving down the road, with a sign reading "Demae Pizza."  
  
"Excellent."  
  
***  
  
Piccolo flew low, under Pilaf's radar. Oolong was on his back, trying to desperately to maintain a firm hold on his cape. They saw the large structure a couple of miles away from Gingertown. A solitary road, presumably Hidden Base Lane, lead to it, a solitary aircar winding its way down to the villain's headquarters.  
  
"What's that car?" Oolong asked.  
  
"It says Demae Pizza on the side," replied Piccolo, utilizing his sharper vision.  
  
"The world-conqueror needs to order out for pizza?"  
  
Making no comment, Piccolo touched down just outside the base. They pressed themselves against the wall and watched as the deliveryman talked through an intercom for a moment, and then entered a code on a keypad. The large gate swung open. After the deliveryman stepped through, it swung closed again. A few minutes later, he returned to his aircar and drove away.  
  
When it was out of sight, Piccolo hissed to Oolong. "Here's the plan. Change shape to look like him. Go up and tell them you forgot something. Open the gate with the code. It's 2047."  
  
"Then what?"  
  
The Namekian grinned. "I'll take it from there."  
  
***  
  
"Who is it?" Pilaf asked as the intercom buzzed.  
  
"It appears to be the pizza man again, sire," said Shu.  
  
"Again?"  
  
"He says that he forgot to give us our complimentary breadsticks, sire."  
  
"Tell him to come on in."  
  
***  
  
Oolong punched in 2047. As the gate opened, he dashed back out of sight.  
  
"You stay here," said Piccolo, striding towards the gate. "This shouldn't take long."  
  
He entered, and saw a few dozen laser beams, crisscrossing and forming a lethal web. What was it they had said? Push the off-color brick...  
  
The walls were made up of grey stone bricks. But there was one brick that was a bright teal. He snorted in derision. Apparently they didn't want to make them too similar and face the threat of slicing themselves to ribbons. He pressed the teal brick, and the lasers faded. He continued walking. Several corners later, he entered what appeared to be Pilaf's main control room.  
  
"I have your breadsticks," he growled. Pilaf, Shu, and Mai whirled to face him.  
  
"You're not the pizza man!" they all yelled simultaneously.  
  
"No, I'm not!" He whipped off his turban.  
  
"LORD PICCOLO!"  
  
"Yes, you incompetent fools! I, Piccolo Daimao, the great demon king!"  
  
The three bowed. "W-what do you want, Lord?"  
  
"You imbeciles are ruining my plans!"  
  
"W-we are?"  
  
"Yes, you are! I have schemes of my own that involve the one you have kidnapped! Bring him to me, now, and I may let you live!"  
  
Pilaf, Shu, and Mai hurried into another room. Piccolo donned his turban again. They returned, almost literally dragging Vegeta with them. When Vegeta saw him, he adopted an expression somewhat between a smirk and a grimace.  
  
"Here he i-is, as you commanded."  
  
"Excellent. I am feeling merciful; I shall spare you. And you, come with me." He grabbed Vegeta by the collar of his shirt and hauled him away. The three he left behind audibly sighed with relief.  
  
***  
  
"As much as it pains me, I feel that I must thank you," said Vegeta as he and Piccolo met up with Oolong.  
  
"No thanks are necessary. The sight of you captured by Pilaf and rescued by Oolong and myself is reward enough."  
  
***  
  
When they returned, Bulma squeezed most of the air out of Vegeta with a tight hug, then got rid of the rest with a kiss that left the observers grinning.  
  
As he scanned the crowd, he noticed an absence. "Where's Mirai?"  
  
"He spent the night at Jennifer's and now he's out of it."  
  
"Ohh." He grinned wickedly, and she gave him a light slap.  
  
"Not like that, you baka," but she was smiling too. 


	16. Celebration, Reclamation, Coronation

One day!  
  
Just one more day...then Vegeta would be able to reclaim his race and his crown. Tonight would mark the last night he'd face as a human.  
  
Tonight also marked Capsule Corporation's anniversary, and so Bulma was holding a large dinner to commemorate it. There'd be a few speeches, and lots of good food. He only wished he was a Saiyan already so that he could appreciate all of the food even more.  
  
But still...he'd be restored tommorrow! He was in such a good mood that he didn't even argue when Bulma told him he'd have to wear a tuxedo.  
  
***  
  
"Hello? Is this thing working?" Dr. Briefs tapped the microphone a few times, and caused a surge of feedback that made everyone in the large room grimace.  
  
"Yes, Dad, it's working!" Bulma hissed to him. The Briefs family was seated on a raised dais at the front of the hall, with the doctor currently standing up at a podium. The rest of the room was filled with Capsule Corp. employees, reporters, guests from other companies, government officials, and a few "friends of the family." They'd just finished eating, and now it was time for the speeches. Dr. Briefs got to go first, as founder of the company; nowadays he was simply chairman emeritus, allowing Bulma to become CEO a few years ago.  
  
"Thank you all for coming tonight, it's good to see you all here. I remember when I decided to..."  
  
As his granddad continued to speak, Trunks (like any twelve-year old) grew restless. Just sitting here was boring.  
  
He began to plot his escape. He was seated at one end of the table, next to his brother, so he might be able to slip away. The crowd was all watching his granddad, so even though he was facing them, he might be able to leave unnoticed. But if he went alone, that wouldn't be fun. Goten, also bored, was looking apathetically around the room. When he glanced at Trunks, the older boy nodded a few times to catch his attention.  
  
Over the years, the two had developed a silent mode of communication that was based exclusively on body language. They began to 'talk' in it now, Trunks indicating that Goten should join him in fleeing this boring reception.  
  
Goten glanced around quickly. He also was at the end of the table next to his brother. He nodded at Trunks, who in response held up three fingers. Then two. Then one.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Gohan saw his little brother sneak off, back into the main portion of Capsule Corp. He supposed he should stop him, or at least tell his mother, who was sitting across from him (Videl had beaten her to the other seat beside Gohan).  
  
What the heck. He'd only be young once.  
  
Mirai nudged Vegeta, who looked in the direction he was looking and nudged Bulma. She turned to see Trunks jump off the end of the dais and run to meet Goten in the back.  
  
"Want one of us to go get the brat?" Vegeta mumbled to her.  
  
"Nah. May as well let him have his fun."  
  
***  
  
"Yeah! We did it!" shouted Trunks as he and Goten left the large room and entered a long hallway.  
  
"Whaddya wanna do?" Goten asked after giving him a high five.  
  
"Wanna spar?"  
  
"Sure!"  
  
"Ok. Where?"  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
***  
  
Dr. Briefs finally finished his speech and resumed his seat after introducing Bulma, who was walking to the podium to heavy applause.  
  
Vegeta breathed out a sigh. He supposed he'd have to actually listen to this part.  
  
"It's amazing," Bulma began, "How quickly the world has adapted to the amazing revolutions Capsules have brought..."  
  
He sighed again.  
  
***  
  
The two boys had found the perfect place to fight. It was a large room in one of Capsule Corp.'s basements, filled with all sorts of machines and equipment. They'd raised their ki just enough to fight at superspeed, but not enough that any of the others could easily detect it.  
  
They dodged to and fro, using less martial arts than usual and instead mainly resorting to the unsubtle, rather brutal style many children use when fighting. But they held no anger for each other. It was all great fun.  
  
Up until the point when the boys, wrestling on the ground, rolled straight into and through a large electrical generator.  
  
As they disentangled themselves from their embrace and from the mess of wires, they saw a message appear on a nearby monitor.  
  
ALL POWER TO CAPSULE CORPORATION WILL SHUTDOWN IN: 30 MINUTES.  
  
They stared at it. After a moment, it changed to--  
  
ALL POWER TO CAPSULE CORPORATION WILL SHUTDOWN IN: 29 MINUTES.  
  
Goten and Trunks exchanged glances.  
  
"I think we should get out of here," Goten whispered.  
  
"Yeah. Let's go hide somewhere."  
  
***  
  
Bulma came to the conclusion of her speech. "The theme of tonight's celebration is, as you all know, Capsule Corporation: Past, Present and Future. My father spoke for the Past. I speak for the Present. And now, I present the man who will speak for the Future, the next CEO of Capsule Corporation, as well as my beloved oldest son, Mirai Briefs!"  
  
As she sat down and he approached the podium, the audience clapped heartily. Bulma noticed that several of the reporters suddenly seemed much more alert than they had been. She recognized them as the ones from the tabloids.  
  
She wasn't surprised in the least. Being the handsome young (and rich) man that he was, the tabloids loved to publish gossip about Mirai, and true or false didn't matter. Getting readers was important, and that they did. After Capsule Corp. had confirmed that he was dating Jennifer (published in one tabloid under the headline CAPSULES AND COURTROOMS), many young women were known to have tried to boycott her legal firm.  
  
Of course, that same tabloid had only the previous day published a story claiming that Mirai had at his beck and call a virtual harem of ladies, available to him anytime, anywhere.  
  
They refused to retract the previous story, even after publishing the latter one.  
  
Glancing briefly through his notes, Mirai detached the microphone from the podium and began to walk about the dais as he began his speech...  
  
***  
  
The boys dashed frantically through the empty corrdiors of Capsule Corp., looking desperately for someplace, anyplace to hide. But everywhere that looked at first as if it would hide them was disqualified for one reason or another. This room was too well-lit by the outside lights, that room has a glass ceiling...  
  
"We're not gonna be able to hide, Trunks!" Goten said, tears beginning to form in his eyes.  
  
"Of course we can!" his friend snapped back. "We just need to find the right place." Suddenly he stopped in his tracks, and Goten had to halt and back up.  
  
"What's wrong, Trunks?"  
  
"I just thought of the perfect place! We can hide in the attic!"  
  
The two half-Saiyans raced all the way to the other side of the building and ran up the stairs located there (so that, Trunks said, they could fool any pursuers who'd expect them to pick the nearest set). They soon arrived in the attic, closing and locking the door behind them, as well as pushing several large boxes in front of it. It wouldn't keep their family or friends out for long, but it'd give them enough time to flee through the solitary window if necessary.  
  
This done, they looked around. The attic was filled with stacks of large boxes like those they'd just pushed. They cast eerie shadows all through the large room, throwing some of the distant parts of the room into darkness. The boys sat down in a corner, hoping like hell they could get away with this.  
  
***  
  
"...And to conclude my speech, I'll give examples of ways that Capsule Corporation is improving its technology, to serve the public even better in the future." He hopped off the dais and moved towards some of the "friends of the family" seated in the audience.  
  
"You all know this man," he continued. "This is Son Gohan and his wife Videl, better known as the Great Saiyaman One and Great Saiyaman Two, respectively, and they're two of the best crimefighters in Satan City. Give them a hand." Once the resulting applause died down, he kept speaking. "Gohan, Videl, do you use Capsule technology in your war against crime?"  
  
"Yes," Videl said, "Every day."  
  
"It's a variant on Capsule technology that powers our costume summoners," explained Gohan to the crowd.  
  
"Well, in the future, we'll help you even more, with specially treated Capsules that can release knockout gas when activated. A safe way to capture lawbreakers without injuring them or yourselves." They nodded, intrigued, and the crowd murmured its appreciation. Mirai moved to the other side of the table.  
  
"This is Gohan's mother, Son Chi-Chi. I can personally vouch for her reputation as a cook of the highest caliber, one who could serve as head chef at any restaurant in the world." Chi-Chi blushed.  
  
"It's not an easy job, but we want to try to make it a bit easier. To that end, we've almost completed research on Capsules that can not only keep food fresh, but actually *restore* freshness to stale foods."  
  
"Now that'd come in handy," Chi-Chi said as Mirai held the microphone down to her, "And I think my husband agrees." Goku was almost drooling at the idea. As a smatter of applause died down, the heir moved on several seats.  
  
"And this is Jennifer Bengoshi, known to some of you," and here he nodded at the tabloid reporters, "As my girlfriend, who I love more than anything else in *any* universe." He laid a hand on her shoulder, and she shot a nasty grin at a few female attendees who were glaring death bolts at her.  
  
Mirai reached into his pocket and pulled out a Capsule. "This is a special Capsule. You can only open it once; after that, the Capsule is gone forever, leaving behind only the contents. I'll admit, I can't guarantee that what's in here will make your life better in the future..." He hesitated for a moment. "But if you take it, I'd say there's a 99% chance that it will. And after you see what's inside, I'll ask you. Go ahead, just toss it into the air."  
  
She depressed the activation button and tossed it straight up. The Capsule disappeared in mid-air with a cloud of smoke and a small "Hoi-Poi!" sound, and a small object fell to Earth. She extended a hand to snatch it out of the air, and gasped when she saw what it was.  
  
"So, will you take it?"  
  
The guests nearest her gasped as well, or uttered a small laugh. Those slightly farther away leaned in to see what it was. Those farther away still turned to look at the monitors on the wall, all of which were now focused on what now lay in her hand.  
  
A golden ring. With a diamond.  
  
Mirai sank to one knee and took her free hand.  
  
"Jennifer...will you marry me?"  
  
For a moment, she said and did nothing, simply stared at the ring. Then she flung herself onto him; both now were on the floor.  
  
"Of course I will! I was hoping you'd ask soon!" She slipped the ring on her finger, and gave Mirai a kiss. Everytime their relationship moved a new level--from friends, to official boyfriend and girlfriend, to 'comfortable with spending nights over at each other's houses, though not sharing a bed'--they'd cemented it with a passionate kiss. Everytime it happened, Mirai thought that a kiss couldn't get more passionate.  
  
He was once again proved wrong.  
  
As they kneeled there on the floor, locking lips and tongues, a huge wave of sound rose around them. All of the males and most of the females in attendance were standing and applauding, some even cheering; the "friends of the family" in particular were cheering very loud. A portion of the females were grinding their teeth. It would have been audible, but was drowned out. Flashbulbs popped all over the room as the reporters, as well as Capsule Corp. publicists, captured the moment.  
  
"I didn't know he could play a crowd that well," Bulma muttered to Vegeta as they and her parents joined in the applause. "He's a natural."  
  
***  
  
Goten and Trunks tried to slink further back in the corner. They didn't like that rumbling sound.  
  
***  
  
"There you have it, folks! The future of Capsule Corporation!" Bulma was back at the podium, having activated another microphone. She was beaming proudly and gesturing at Mirai and Jennifer, who still hadn't risen, or even stopped kissing. He was obviously overcome by the moment, Bulma thought; normally he wouldn't kiss so long and deep in public.  
  
"Now," she continued, "Time for the last event of the night, the Ball!"  
  
At that exact moment, all the lights went out, plunging the room into darkness save for the light which filtered in through several small windows near the top of the room.  
  
"I'm gonna kill those kids," she muttered to herself.  
  
***  
  
For a moment or two, there was silence in the attic, except for the cars on the road below that could be heard through the window. Then Goten began to whimper. Trunks was just able to make out his face; it was pale.  
  
"Is something wrong?" he asked, concerned.  
  
"Mmhmm."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I'm 'fraid."  
  
The older boy sighed in relief. "You're eleven years old and still afraid of the dark?"  
  
"Uhhuh."  
  
"Goten, nothing's going to get you."  
  
"Yes they will. Monsters in the dark."  
  
"There aren't any monsters."  
  
"Yes there are."  
  
There was silence for a moment. Then:  
  
"Trunks?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Will you hold on to me?"  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"That's what Gohan did whenever I was scared..."  
  
"Oh, OK...if it'll shut you up. Scoot on over."  
  
Goten slid over and wrapped his arms around the older boy's chest, while Trunks (rolling his eyes) draped an arm over the younger boy's shoulder.  
  
"Thanks Trunks."  
  
"No problem. You just relax, Goten, and I'll keep an eye out for 'monsters'..."  
  
***  
  
They managed to find a backup generator and restored power to the large room. After the delay, the Ball was on.  
  
The center of attention was obviously Mirai and Jennifer. As has been noted previously, they were quite good dancers, and tonight they hardly seemed fazed by all the notice they were getting. Every couple they passed was watching them, and most were whispering to each other.  
  
As she and Vegeta danced (or attempted to; there were a few steps he hadn't yet mastered), Bulma wondered what the tabloids would say tomorrow. One thing was for sure: they'd all need new front pages. Jennifer would probably get some death threats.  
  
Once the ball had ended, most of the guests left, either wishing them the best or not saying a word. The "friends of the family," though, stayed a bit longer, talking with each other and congratulating the happy couple.  
  
"You can turn it into a race," suggested Turles. "See if it'll be you two or Gohan and his wife who produce the universe's first quarter-Saiyan."  
  
"I'll bet on my grandson," said Bardock, standing nearby.  
  
"I'll take that bet," replied Broli. "Put my wager down for Prince Mirai."  
  
"All right, what do you wanna bet?"  
  
"If you win, I will engage in physical combat with you every day for two fortnights."  
  
"Sparring for a month," translated Bardock. "Sounds fine. And if you win?"  
  
Broli grinned. "You have to read a book."  
  
Mirai turned to his mother. "Hey Mom, where's Dad?"  
  
"He's off looking for Trunks and Goten." Right on cue, one of the Capsule Corp. internal phones rang right next to her. "Hello?"  
  
"I've found the brats," said Vegeta's voice. "They're in the attic."  
  
"I'll be right there."  
  
"Bring Gohan. And bring your camera, I want to capture the looks on their faces."  
  
Explaining to the "Great Saiyacouple," Bulma took Gohan up to the attic where Vegeta was waiting for them outside the door.  
  
"How do you know they're in there?"  
  
"The door was locked. I've never known this door to be locked. Plus, after I unlocked it, there's some heavy boxes on the other side of the door that I can't get out of the way."  
  
"Which is why you wanted me here," said Gohan.  
  
"Exactly." Gohan leaned against the door and, tapping into a small portion of his vast power, opened it, pushing the boxes out of the way. The light from the doorway fell on Trunks and Goten. They were sitting in a corner, sleeping and leaning into each other. Bulma simply said "Aww," Gohan smiled, and Vegeta grimaced. Bulma snapped a quick picture.  
  
"Let's take them downstairs to Trunks's room," she said afterwards. "I'll ask Chi-Chi if Goten can stay over tonight."  
  
***  
  
When they returned to the celebration, Vegeta yelled out to Mirai. "Boy! About this engagement thing!" The crowd fell silent as he stalked over to his eldest son, who had been wondering how his father would react. When he reached him, for a moment Vegeta just stared.  
  
What happened next would be the source of debates among those attending for years to come. Some claimed that he only did what he did because he was human, while others claimed that even if he was king of the Saiyans he still would have done it. Vegeta himself never said.  
  
He grabbed his son around the waist and gave him a large hug. "Congratulations, boy. If anyone deserves this, it's you." He detached himself from a stunned Mirai and faced Jennifer. "Congratulations to you as well, though I have a word of warning. If you ever make him unhappy, I'll make your life hell; he's had far too much tragedy in his life already." Without another word, he walked away and began to pick at what was left of the fish.  
  
"Who was that," Kuririn muttered, "And what did he do with Vegeta?"  
  
Not long after, the guests began to leave. No one was surprised that Piccolo was the first; indeed, the only surprising thing was that he had stayed as long as he had. Next were Tenshinhan and Chaozu, then Kuririn, Juuhachigou, Marron, and Kamesen'nin.  
  
Juunanagou also left. The good wood to rebuild his house (which had been destroyed by an evil Vegeta from another timeline) was ready to be cut, and he wanted to get a jump on it. He thanked the Briefs for their hospitality, then departed.  
  
When Chi-Chi, Bardock, and Gyu-Mao left, Goku stayed behind. He'd be spending the night so that he could take Vegeta to New Namek tomorrow.  
  
Mirai and Jennifer had snuck off to his bedroom, where they talked, embraced and kissed. After a while, he said, "I wish you didn't have to go home, I could talk with you all night long."  
  
She smiled. "Who says I'm going home? I'm spending the night here."  
  
"Oh! Well, um...I've got some old pajamas I guess you could use, though they might be a bit large..."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"You have the bed, I'll sleep on the couch."  
  
"I don't think so. We're both sleeping in this bed tonight."  
  
Mirai immediately went a bright red. "Um, Jennifer, you know how I feel about--" She pressed a finger to his lips.  
  
"Yes, I know. And I agree; we'll wait. But that doesn't mean we can't sleep together in the totally literal sense, does it?"  
  
"Well...I guess not."  
  
"And I can sense that you want to do this, mm?" He blushed some more, but also grinned. "I thought so. Now, toss me those old clothes of yours." He got up, rummaged around in his drawers, found some pajamas, and handed them to her.  
  
"Let me know when you're done changing," he said, and moved towards the door, but she stopped him.  
  
"Oh no. You're staying in here."  
  
"But I thought we were going--"  
  
"To wait, yes, we are." She licked her lips. "But that doesn't mean you can't have a sneak preview."  
  
His eyes widened. "Are you joking?"  
  
"Depends. Do you want me to be?"  
  
***  
  
Vegeta awoke bright and early the next morning. He put on his fighting outfit, then roused Kakarot, a task which took some effort. He wanted to eat breakfast first, but Vegeta (knowing how long a Saiyan breakfast could take) threatened him until he agreed to take them straight to New Namek. When they arrived, they split up, found the Dragon Balls, and asked the nearest Namekian to act as translator for Porunga. They owed an eternal debt to the Earth heroes, so the Namekian agreed, as they always did whenever they were on New Namek.  
  
"What is your first wish?" roared Porunga. Vegeta told the Namekian, who translated.  
  
"Please make Vegeta a Saiyan again, with his full power, as he was before his wife erroneously transformed him!"  
  
"It shall be done!" The dragon's eyes glowed a deeper red than normal for a moment.  
  
Something slammed into Vegeta like a tidal wave. Tiny arcs of something that resembled electricty snaked all over his body, rewriting his genetic code back into that of a Saiyan's. Power, a power he'd been missing for six months, returned to him. Without even meaning to, he snapped into the form of a Super Saiyan, then that of Super Saiyan 2, and finally Super Saiyan 3. Goku took several steps away from him.  
  
"It is done," Porunga said. The electricity disappeared, and Vegeta returned to normal. "What is your second wish?" The Namekian turned expectantly to Vegeta.  
  
"Re-establish the bond between myself and my wife." The Namekian relayed these instructions.  
  
"That's not too hard...there, it is done." Vegeta smirked. He couldn't feel it, due to the oddness of a human/Saiyan pairing, but Bulma could. Right about now she had to be picking up on his glee. "Your third wish?"  
  
The once-and-future-king mused for a second. Then he spoke.  
  
"Can you change things so that you can understand our wishes no matter what language we speak them in? And that the same holds true when it comes to summoning you?"  
  
Porunga made a sound that maybe, just maybe, was a chuckle. "It is done. Farewell!" He disappeared in a burst of light, the blackness disappeared from New Namek's skies, and the Dragon Balls, now stones, flew away.  
  
"Kakarot, take us home."  
  
***  
  
When they returned to Capsule Corp., Goku stayed behind to have breakfast. The Saiyan hunger returned to Vegeta as well, but he had another task to perform.  
  
Revelling in the joy of flight, a joy he had not truly experienced until today, he flew to Gohan's house. When he arrived, he banged on the door. After a moment, Gohan answered it, looking rather tired.  
  
"Hey Vegeta. I bet I know what you're here for."  
  
"I have come to reclaim my crown."  
  
"Good. I'll be more than happy to end the reign of King Gohan. What do I need to do?"  
  
"Place your hands on my temples. Yes, that's right," he said after Gohan had complied. "Now just concentrate..." A few seconds later, there was a flash of light. "It is done. I am the king of all Saiyans once again!" He laughed in a way that, if Vegeta hadn't reformed, would be described as evil. He then walked past Gohan, into the house. "Nappa! Come with me!"  
  
As Vegeta and Nappa exited the house, the former turned to Gohan. "You did a fair job of holding the crown in trust. But only I can be the true king!" They then flew away, leaving Gohan to mumble something about arrogance before he went back to sleep.  
  
***  
  
Vegeta climbed back into bed, inadvertantly waking Bulma.  
  
"Hey," she said. "You king?"  
  
"That I am. And you are again my queen." He kissed her hand, and she blinked in surprise. For Vegeta, this was surprisingly romantic.  
  
"So what was it like being human?" she asked as they both laid their heads on their pillows again.  
  
"It certainly was a...what's the term...learning experience."  
  
"I think being human for a while did you some good," Bulma said.  
  
"I wouldn't go that far," were the last words he muttered before returning to sleep.  
  
END  
  
And so ends Human Blues. I hope you enjoyed it; please leave a review.  
  
If you wish to do me a favor, then you can read my original story The Reformers, and review it as well. It's not done yet, but tell me what you think so far.  
  
So what's next for The Royalty Series? In a couple of weeks, you'll find out. All I'll give away is the title: The New Student.  
  
Until then, I remain, as always,  
-Thanos6  
  
Stay safe! 


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